Turnabout is Fair Play
by Ookami-chan
Summary: A hazy night and a mysterious tattoo somehow turn out to be the perfect way to balance the odds.
1. In the light of day...

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all rights therein quite obviously belong to Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
(A/N: Oi, something weird happened with my computer and I had to re-do this chapter. I hope I didn't lose something important...)  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Sometimes it's better to relax alone....  
  
  
  
Fog was beginning to collect on the mirror.  
  
There was nothing like complete and total shock to make you forget the little things like headache, nausea and severe light sensativity. All of which had promptly vanished the moment Kagome glanced absently towards the mirror on her way into the shower.  
  
A small white square of gauze had been taped down over the small scar that had been left when the Shikon no Tama had been rather forcefully removed from her body... Well, most of it had been white, but the very slight smudge of reddish brown had alerted her that sometime during the blurred evening she must have been cut.  
  
It had all been a plot, of course, her friends showing up right after school let out and dragging her off despite her half-hearted protests. A part of her had wanted very badly to go with them, had wanted to just forget about everything that had turned her life upside down for several years. And so, against her better judgement, she had agreed to spend the night traipsing along with her girlfriends and let responsibility slide away.  
  
Her friends, however, decided that for that night Kagome needed to let herself totally unwind. And so every single drink they brought her from the time they carted her off had been liberally spiked and mixed to diguise the taste. Never suspecting her friends would do such a thing, Kagome had fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.  
  
Never trust a group of teenage girls with a mission, she thought distantly, her eyes so wide it seemed as though they would swallow her unnaturally pale face.  
  
The longer she stared at her reflection, the more hazy bits seemed to drift back to her scrambling mind. She recalled feeling an odd vibration of power from a small building that had almost looked like a tiny, ancient shrine. In her inebriated state, curiosity overrode caution so quickly it was sick and she had stumbled away from her giggling companions to invesigate.  
  
There had been a very old man inside, a bald old man wearing a loose, gray yukata and covered in tattoos. He had welcomed her inside expectantly, saying something about having been expecting her before serving her tea. After that it was all a blur. She could vaguely recall a tingling feeling and hearing a buzz like a swarm of bees had been doing laps around the small room. Yet it was all blank until she was standing in the street with her friends, and when she'd looked back, the building was nowhere to be seen. She had shrugged it off, letting her friends take her home and bid her an enthusastic good-night.  
  
Her finger rose, trembling violently to her side to gingerly touch the dark crimson mark now covering the small scar. She flinched involuntarily at the slightly raised flesh, her mouth moving soundlessly as she looked away from the mirror and down to the curve of her hip. Heat seemed to radiate from the mark, growing stronger as her fingertip traced over the precise lines until her entire body was throbbing. Chaotic questions tumbled through her mind so quickly they made her dizzy.  
  
How had it happened? Who was that old man and how had he know? And how in the world had it been infused with magic so strong it made her tremble? More importantly, what was the magic for? What would it do?  
  
Her eyes rose again to her reflection when all those questions melted away to be replaced with the one that concerned her the most. How in all the seven hells am I going to explain this if anyone finds out?  
  
Biting her lip, she turned to give herself a perfect unobstructed view of her hip, her fingers again tracing the blood-red marking. The kanji was precise, ancient, flawless...  
  
Inuyasha.  
  
****  
  
"She'll return soon, Inuyasha," Miroku sighed, leaning casually against the thick trunk of a tree as he watched the hanyou pace back and forth in front of the well restlessly. There had been a new rumor early that morning from a travelling merchant and predictably the hanyou had nearly burst with his impatience to go after it. It had taken them quite a bit of talking and wrestling with Inuyasha to convince him not to go racing off to drag Kagome back to go in search of it.  
  
"She's late," he growled, giving the well a withering glare as though blaming it for all his troubles with the young woman. "She belongs here, not in that damn school she keeps running off to."  
  
The monk shared a look with the small kitsune reclining in his lap and sighed, "It's obviously important to her and she always returns."  
  
"Maybe if you weren't such a jerk all the time she wouldn't think it was so important," Shippo interjected, lazily scratching at his ear with his hind foot. "Kagome seems to go back every time you yell at her," he paused to stick out his tongue at the fuming demon.  
  
"That's because she has a job to do here!" he yelled out, facing the unconcerned pair. Growling menacingly, he pointed at the well with a clawed hand, "She's not supposed to go running back to that time! She needs to stay-"  
  
Thump.  
  
Inuyasha broke off abruptly at the unexpected sound from deep in the well, sniffing lightly and relaxing when Kagome's distinctive scent filled the air. Sighing, he put on his best annoyed face and turned to lean over the side as Shippo let out a cry of delight and came racing to his side. He blinked down at her, a little surprised to see her sitting cross-legged at the bottom of the well wearing long, black pants and a gray shirt instead of her usual uniform. His surprise grew when he noticed that instead of looking back, she sat with a dazed look on her face and her enormous pack beside her.  
  
"Oi, what the hell are you just sitting there for, bitch?" his ears swivelled towards her and his voice filled with a confused sort of curiosity.  
  
When Kagome didn't answer, just sat there with a wide-eyed look on her face, he shook his head and sighed. Moving onto the rim of the well, he climbed down enough to pluck both the pack and girl off the ground and hoist them out into the grass. Shippo was immediately hopping up and down, arms outstretched like a child wanting to be picked up and calling her name over and over like a chant.  
  
Inuyasha set her on her feet, a little concerned at her continued silence and pale face. The moment he let go, her legs buckled and she again sat in the same position she'd been in at the bottom of the well. She absently stroked Shippo's head with a shaking hand, eyes wide and unfocused.  
  
Now completely confused and definitely worried, Inuyasha dropped her pack and tilted his head to one side to regard the girl even as he sniffed for any obvious injuries that could cause her to act like this, "Kagome? Kagome, what's wrong with you?"  
  
She finally looked up at him, her mouth slowly falling open. She stared at him for a long moment, perfectly oblivious to the two other voices raised in concern as she moved one hand down to her hip. Shaking her head, she turned her gaze away to look at Shippo and Miroku's questioning, concerned faces.  
  
Her gaze returned to Inuyasha and then went to her lap before lifting to again focus on nothing as she whispered very slowly, "Oh my God."  
  
Kagome had just appeared in Sengoku Jidai, her pack slung across her back when she heard Inuyasha's voice raised in unmistakable anger, "Stay-!"  
  
Instantly, her hip had gone from a dull throb to intense heat and her legs went numb. She gasped as her legs buckled, dropping her pack and blinking in surprise as she tried to absorb what had just happened. Her tattoo was pulsing as though it had its own heartbeat, slow and steady, and her legs felt like lead. Worried, she willed herself to move, to stand, but no amount of effort would get her stubborn legs to obey her mind. Everything else worked fine, just her legs...  
  
Her eyes went wide and her mouth fell open, It couldn't be.  
  
Then Inuyasha was lifting her out of the well, grumbling at her under his breath, but gold eyes moving over her in confusion. When he released her, her legs had again refused to support her and she dropped, the implications of what had possibly happened sending her mind reeling. Shippo was snuggling against her chest and habitually she stroked a hand through his soft hair, distantly aware of the voices around her.  
  
Her legs tingled slightly and she experimentally tightened the muscles, relieved when they responded as though nothing had happened. Then Inuyasha came into her line of vision and the realization of what had happened smacked her in the face. Her eyes went wide again and she turned to look if anyone else had caught the real cause for her distress. They only looked worried and rather confused at her odd behavior, no small wonder considering she herself felt as though she'd just been back-kicked by a horse and she knew what was going on.  
  
She looked back at Inuyasha as the throbbing in her hip died down, feeling only like a comforting warmth. She couldn't deny it. The little tattoo had done...something at the sound of his voice, and when he'd said "stay" her legs had...Oh god, no...  
  
Kagome tried to say something, anything, but her throat was nearly closed with shock and in the end she could only stare off into the trees, trying to ground her senses. No good, she still felt like she was choking. Horrified and unable to deny or write off the incident, she finally whispered out, "Oh my God." 


	2. In the light of day (second half)....

Standard disclaimer: Again, Inuyasha and all therein are sole property of Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
(A/N: Heh, sorry, I just read that last bit and realized I'd chopped the file in half. Didn't mean to be that awful about the cliffhanger thing! So this will be a bit short, but I really meant for it to be with the first part.) ^_^ ::blush::  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: So THAT'S what that magic was for....  
  
  
  
"I...I have to talk to Kaede-sama!" Kagome stammered out, jumping to her feet and pivoting to race off in the direction of the village. She was gone so fast that Inuyasha didn't have a chance to do more than open his mouth to ask what was wrong again. Three very confused men were left blinking at her retreating figure, trying without much success to reason out what exactly had just happened.  
  
Shippo was blinking owlishly before he hopped onto Inuyasha's head and wondered aloud, "What's the matter with Kagome?"  
  
"How the hell should I know?" Inuyasha scowled at the kit, hefting Kagome's forgotten pack and walking along the path to the village slowly. There hadn't been any blood smells or any signs that she was hurt. Maybe she had just tripped from her side and rattled her own senses from the fall? He shook his head, denying his own attempted explanation. She wouldn't have been in such a hurry to talk to the old miko if it was just a fall.  
  
Miroku fell in step behind them, rubbing his chin and sighing, eyes closed as he murmured, "Maybe it had to do with that strange magic..."  
  
Inuyasha froze, "What strange magic?"  
  
The monk's eyes opened, "You mean you didn't sense it?"  
  
He grabbed him by his robes, yanking him forward and baring his fangs and he snapped out irritably, "Would I be fucking asking if I had? Spill it, priest, what strange magic did you sense?"  
  
Miroku very calmly smacked the hanyou on the head with his staff to gain his release, clearing his throat before he continued towards the village, "When Kagome-sama appeared from her time there was a strong pulse of magic around her right until she stood and ran off. I have not felt that from her before."  
  
Inuyasha growled in frustration, recalling the shocked look on her face and leaping off toward's Kaede's hut, Kagome... What happened while you were gone? I wasn't there to protect you. You were afraid...  
  
**  
  
"Well, yes, I suppose a subduing spell could be cast into a symbol like a tattoo, but why do you ask? Are the prayer beads not working as they're supposed to?" Kaede regarded the nervous girl speculatively at the unexpected and -if she wasn't mistaken- desperate question. "I can't imagine Inuyasha causing you alarm like this, child, but then again a tattoo would take a long time. Inuyasha would never agree to it or sit still long enough for it to be done."  
  
Kagome shook her head, fighting the urge to grab her hip through the jeans she had decided to substitue for her skirt, "I...I was only curious. I want to understand more about the subduing spell is all."  
  
Kaede stared at her a moment longer in silence before shrugging and turning back to the steaming pot of herbs she was stirring over a small fire, "Very well. Is there anything else you wish to know?"  
  
"Ah...well," Kagome nervously chewed on her lower lip and tried to think of a careful way to word what she wanted to ask. "The spell can only be broken by removing the... necklace, right? There's no counter spell? Or will it wear off after a while?"  
  
The old miko shook her head, "Do not concern yourself, Kagome. If a subduing spell is cast properly there is no reversal. It will not wear off, nor is there a spell Inuyasha could use to break it. Now, granted the spell can be removed if you took off the necklace, but that is the only way. The owner of the spell has to remove it and as you have seen, there is only one owner." She smiled faintly as a thought came to her, fighting the urge to chuckle at the mental image her thoughts conjured up, "If you somehow managed to tattoo the spell into him it would be quite permanent. Even if you wanted to remove it, the very nature of such a spell would prevent it."  
  
I was afraid of that, Kagome's hopes deflated instantly and she sighed. "Can the subduing 'word' be changed?" maybe there was another way.  
  
She shook her head, "It is the first word of subduing that is utter by the owner. You cast the spell with 'sit' and 'sit' it will remain. Are you, by chance, feeling guilty about subduing Inuyasha, Kagome?"  
  
Outside the hut, Inuyasha froze with his hand just an inch away from the door, his ears instantly perking up. Nani? She feels guilty about this fucking necklace? Slinking down into a crouch, he slid along the wall silently and crouched under the window to eavesdrop.  
  
Inside, Kagome sighed and with Kaede's back turned felt safe to rub her aching hip, "Of course I feel guilty about it. I mean, sometimes I feel like he deserves it, but I really don't want to actually hurt him, and being smashed into the ground has to be uncomfortable. It can come in handy though..."  
  
Kaede nodded sagely, "Sometimes it is the only way you have enough time to escape through the well, yes?"  
  
"Hai," she muttered. This last time had been like that, and well...just think what would have happened if she hadn't had it the time he tried to destroy the well to keep her here! But then again, if she was right and that stupid tattoo had really been a subduing spell she was in for a lot of trouble. If he found out he could drop her to the ground just as easily as she did him then she doubted she'd ever get to go home again! 'Of course, Inuyasha would be absolutely delighted,' she thought, wrinkling her nose in annoyance as her imagination went wild, shuddering as she pictured the look on his face if he found out. And if it really was 'stay?' How humiliating!  
  
'Then again, poor Inuyasha has to live with sit...' she leaned back against the wall with a heavy sigh. 'But he's a dog; at least it fits,' she felt her lips twitch in fleeting amusement.  
  
"I'm afraid there is no way for you to change the way the spell works, Kagome," Kaede was saying. "You would have to remove the beads to break it and I do not believe you are ready to do that."  
  
Inuyasha grunted when Kagome sighed. So, she felt bad about slamming him into the ground all the time, but not bad enough to take them off? Even as he started mentally cursing spells in general and one in particular, in the back of his mind he admitted he didn't quite want them gone either, knowing he could always use the necklace as a back-up excuse to stay around her. 'That and the Shikon no Tama,' he sighed and leaned back against the wall, folding his arms in the sleeves of his robes. But what had brought on the sudden attack of conscience? He frowned at that thought. Inuyasha didn't believe for one second that after the such a long period of time she had developed an aversion to having something to hang over his head. Hell, most of the time he would have sworn she got some weird pleasure out of being able to flatten him with a word. She did it often enough... It just didn't make sense!  
  
This would definitely need some further investigation. 


	3. The purpose of profanity....

Standard disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
(A/N: I feel like such a happy evil puppy! Now I have the whole setup for the plotline we can get right down to it! Hopefully the story comes out on paper the way it does in my head and I don't butcher it to badly in the conversion. Sooo....here we go!) ^_^  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: The purpose of profanity...  
  
  
  
By the end of the week Kagome finally understood why Inuyasha was always swearing.  
  
There were just some things in life that required violent, filthy words to adequately portray the depths of frustration and helpless anger a person felt when they had been pushed beyond any limit they had ever known.  
  
And after imagining no less than fifty-seven completely different, yet slow and agonizing ways to torture, maim, and/or kill Inuyasha, Kagome had very nearly bitten the tip off her own tongue to prevent herself from letting loose a string of profanity that would put the hanyou at his worst to shame.  
  
In that time, they had left in search for more shards as Inuyasha wanted, and Kagome had the irrefutable confirmation that she *was* under a subduing spell; Inuyasha "owned" it; and the word that send her to the ground was none other than "Stay." Every time that evil, horrible, cursed word crossed his lips, the tattoo flared with heat, throbbing steadily even as her legs went numb and crumpled beneath her. Her legs refused to respond for roughly the same length of time it took Inuyasha to recover from a "Sit." She'd at least found out that much when her frayed temper had snapped and she'd screamed it at him after yet another unexpected trip to the ground.  
  
Bringing Kagome to her current position. Once again, seated on the ground, massaging the ache at her temples in an effort to calm herself. Wondering, as her right eye twitched with subdued anger, just how many damn times Inuyasha could use the word "Stay" in casual conversation. On the heels of that, she wondered how many more times it would take before she finally cracked and gave into her urge to throttle him.  
  
"Oi, Kagome, when did you get so clumsy?" Inuyasha's voice broke through her rather dark imaginings and brought her attention up to the hanyou's curious face.  
  
She closed her eyes, counting to ten just to keep her voice even as she answered, "Just lucky, I guess."  
  
Sango had rejoined them a few days ago and now looked over at her, her brow creased with worry, "You aren't ill, are you, Kagome? You've been falling an awful lot lately."  
  
Kagome shook her head, pointedly ignoring Inuyasha, "I'm just a bit tired. And sore," she added with a grimace as she reached behind her to rub her abused tailbone.  
  
"Inuyasha, we shouldn't push Kagome-sama when she's obviously not well," Miroku scolded, seating himself against the trunk of a nearby tree. "We need to rest," he glared at the hanyou meaningfully.  
  
"All right, all right," Inuyasha growled at them, folding his arms across his chest. "We'll fucking stay here for the night."  
  
The feeling that had been returning to Kagome's legs drained away instantly and Kagome decided right then and there that the first thing she was doing when the Shikon no Tama was completed would be to wish herself immortal just so she could spend the rest of Inuyasha's natural life giving him every form of hell she was capable of producing. Then she was going to "Sit" him into oblivion, tie him to the God Tree, and extend an open invitation to Sesshoumaru and pray the youkai lord would take him time toying with his half-brother and let her watch.  
  
Shippo hated seeing his favorite member of the group looking so frustrated and angry. He'd been doing his best to make her smile every day, and felt like chomping off Inuyasha's ears whenever the hanyou sent all his efforts and success tumbling down the wayside. Determined, he planted himself in front of her and pulled her out of her thoughts as he held out an apple to her, "I saved this for you, Kagome."  
  
"Arigato, Shippo-chan," she gave the little kit a brilliant smile that had him grinning back at her proudly. He was delighted to have put a smile back on her face and he quickly hopped into her lap to take advantage of the cuddling that would win him. Sure enough, no sooner was he in her arms then he was being petted, twisting his head this way and that to guide her to all the best places just to hear her giggle.  
  
Inuyasha glared at both of them, but more directly at the kitsune who merely sniffed and turned up his nose with a swish of his tail. His eyes slid to Kagome's hand and a frown settled on his face when he watched her rubbing her hip yet again. Either she had developed a new nervous habit, or there was something wrong. That was the exact spot where the centipede demon had ripped the Shikon no Tama from her body and from the look on her face, it had to be either aching or giving her some sort of pain.  
  
He fought a brief battle in his head and finally let out a resigned sigh and crouched down in front of the surprised girl, "Are you sure you're okay, Kagome?"  
  
Kagome's painful fantasy sputtered and died the moment her gaze met the concerned amber eyes looking into her own with genuine concern. She blinked up at him and swallowed the urge to kick him in the shins for looking at her like that and speaking in that soft tone that made her want to melt. 'Wonderful, now I can't even think about hurting him without feeling guilty,' she sighed and nodded, the hand rubbing her hip moving down over her thigh in an effort to speed the return of feeling.  
  
"I'm sure, Inuyasha, don't worry about it," she reached up absently and toyed with one of his ears.  
  
His eyes widened and he reared up as she giggled brightly at the reaction. He snorted at her, the sound suspiciously like a woof as he turned his back on her and leapt into the nearest tree. She shook her head, wincing as her legs finally responded and straightened out in front of her. Kagome kept rubbing her thighs for a moment before she rose to her feet and made her way to her pack.  
  
Digging out the smaller bag containing her toiletries, a fresh towel, and a clean change of clothes, she started off in the direction of the nearby river, "I'm taking a bath. And I'm only going to say this once," she turned frigid eyes on first Miroku and then up to Inuyasha. "I catch either of you peeking and I'll tear out your spleen."  
  
Miroku's brows rose in surprise and he help up his hands in a placating gesture, "Why, Kagome-sama, I'm shocked you would hint that we would do such a thing! You have nothing to fear."  
  
She was nearly growling as she turned away and muttered to herself, "Like hell."  
  
Unfortunately, Kagome had forgotten that at least one of her companions could quite easily overhear that remark and had she looked up at Inuyasha before she disappeared through the woods, she would have seen the hanyou's shocked expression.  
  
'Like hell?' he gaped after her. That was just so...so... NOT Kagome! She NEVER said things like that! She hadn't been acting like herself ever since that day... Hn, that's right, whatever it was that was making the girl act so weird had started when she'd come back the last time. Miroku had said something about strange magic and Kagome HAD gone off immediately to talk to Kaede. But all he'd caught was the end of the conversation... Damn, now he wished he hadn't wasted time with the priest. All he'd found out by the time he got there was that she felt guilty about the subduing spell. No telling what she'd confided in the old hag before he started eavesdropping.  
  
Inuyasha sat back in the tree, folding his arms over his chest and idly kicking one foot as he realized for the past week he'd argued with Kagome plenty of times, but there had only been one "sit." That brought on a scowl, he hadn't even deserved that one! He'd just been talking to Miroku about where to stop for the night and she had yelled it at him out of the blue! She'd tripped again, but she was glaring at him, and she'd looked pissed. Like she was blaming him for her sudden bout of clutziness.  
  
Okay, something was definitely up.  
  
Slowly, a plan began to take shape in the hanyou's mind.  
  
***  
  
Kagome sighed as she made her way back to camp, again wearing dark jeans and a simple cotton shirt. She started wearing them for the higher waist and thick fabric, feeling much safer with the incriminating tattoo more securely covered. Lately, though, she was starting to find the clothing not only easier for all the trekking about they did, but less expensive than replacing uniforms left and right. Not just that, but she didn't have to try and think up excuses to give the school for why she kept needing replacements. 'I'm such a ditz, why didn't I think of this a long time ago?' she scolded herself absently. 'It's not like I'm going to school here.'  
  
She was still several feet from the campsite when a red and white blur dropped from the trees in front of her. Kagome gasped, stumbling backwards and falling flat on her ass under her own steam. Nothing could have sparked her banked anger more, and the scowl she turned up to Inuyasha very clearly said so.  
  
He simply grunted at her, inwardly patting himself on the back for getting this plot of his off to such a good start. "Took you long enough, bitch. What the fuck were you doing for so long, hn?" he growled at her, arms folded and giving no indication he would help her up any time soon.  
  
Kagome stood, rubbing her tailbone yet again and silently praying she wasn't doing that particular bone any permanent damage. Telling herself over and over not to blow up at the hanyou, she ground out, "Couldn't this have waited until I was back? I was on my way, you know, and I wasn't in danger or anything."  
  
"With as weak as you are?" Inuyasha pointed a clawed finger at her and gave a short bark of laughter. "Without me, you'd be dead in an hour, human."  
  
She bit her tongue on the "sit" hovering just below the surface. Who knew it was such a reflex to his attitude? "I already know how you feel, Inuyasha. Now if you don't mind-" she started past him with her spine stiff and nose in the air.  
  
'That should have gotten a "sit" for sure,' he frowned at her, catching her arm as she tried to brush by him. Her jaw was set, the muscle in her cheek flexing with as hard as she was grinding her teeth together. Oh, yeah, Kagome was beyond pissed, so why hadn't she sat him yet?  
  
"Let go," she shrugged, trying to give a physical hint to drop her arm as well. "I'm going right to bed, Inuyasha, you can growl at me all you want from your tree."  
  
He bit his lip, wracking his brain for something that never failed to get him flattened and finally settled on one. He hated to use it, but he was getting desperate! With that thought firmly in mind, he dropped her arm and stepped away from her. Inuyasha waited until she had turned her back before he tossed his head and scoffed, "Keh, I wouldn't have to 'growl at you' if you were more like Kikyou. At least she was strong... and pretty."  
  
Every muscle in Kagome's body froze and Inuyasha grinned triumphantly. That would get her out of this weird slump. She'd "sit" him until his back nearly broke, sure, but then they could get back to normal and Kagome would start arguing with him again. He made sure to wipe the smile off his face when Kagome turned around very, very slowly, her eyes nearly darkened to violet and her expression a mix of disbelief, rage, and hurt.  
  
'You know what it feels like, don't "sit" him, Kagome! He doesn't know any better; he's just being himself!' she repeated over and over in her mind as her lips trembled from the effort it took to keep for shrieking it to the rooftops and stomping on his head while he was down for good measure. How DARE he snap that out as though it was nothing!  
  
Her face was set in the familiar expression she got whenever she was about to let him have it, and she took three very precise steps closer to him. He had a strange glint in his amber eyes and he was watching her...expectantly? Surely he wasn't actually TRYING to get sat, was he? Had she turned Inuyasha into some twisted masochist? No. No, that couldn't be right, she just wasn't thinking straight. Still, she couldn't bring herself to do it. It was humiliating, painful, and horrible to lose control like that, and if she hated it so much herself she could only imagine what it was like to a hanyou. Especially a proud, unnaturally strong one like Inuyasha.  
  
However, there was something she had been itching to say ever since she first realized the power in the mysterious tattoo.  
  
Inuyasha was getting nervous, 'She should have done it by now. Why is she just standing there? C'mon, Kagome, say it. Say it!' He wanted to scream it at her, wanted the old Kagome back, not this Kagome that was so gratingly polite instead of fighting back.  
  
When she leaned forward, eyes blazing, he took an instinctive step back, crossing his fingers hopefully behind him, "K-Kagome?"  
  
"Inuyasha," her voice was flat, calm...dangerous.  
  
'Yes! It's going to work!' he braced himself for the pain. 'Good girl! Give me your worst and let's go back to normal!'  
  
"Go fuck yourself." 


	4. You're a girl! Bond or something!

Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, as I am sure EVERYONE knows....  
  
(A/N: Okay okay, so that was massively OOC, but hey, how would you feel? I swear Inuyasha is going to find out soon, I just have a few different scenarios for it and I'm trying to decide which one I like best. I'm loving the reviews! ::you're looking at one warm happy puppy!:: I'm just glad everyone seems to be liking this evil plot twist, LOL. I'll try to update as fast as possible; I hate leaving things hanging, ne?) ^_^  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: You're a girl too, so bond or something....  
  
  
  
Inuyasha had never been so stunned in his entire life.  
  
The breath left his lungs in a rush, mouth falling open is total disbelief and not a little horror as his eyes went so wide it was a wonder they didn't start tearing. He felt paralyzed, not even his ears moving as the sound of her voice saying those three little words repeated in his head like a macabre echo.  
  
Kagome just turned around and sashayed off, letting a huge smile settle on her lips the moment her back was turned to Inuyasha. That had felt so unbelievably fantastic and the look on his face was *well* beyond priceless. Maybe instead of "sitting" him from now on she should just say something like that again and at that thought, she fought the sudden urge to giggle. Well HE said worse on a regular basis, so it wasn't like he could complain or anything without looking like a complete idiot. After all, whether he knew it or not, he had been the one who taught her how to swear.  
  
She finally chuckled softly, the sight of Inuyasha's face at that moment ingrained into her memory for all time.  
  
Kagome's steps were lighter than they had been in ages as she returned to her friends and settled in for a quiet dinner. She was so engrossed with reliving the expression on Inuyasha's face over and over that she completely missed the curious looks and then dismissing shrugs from the monk and exterminator watching her closely from the other side of the fire.  
  
*  
  
Inuyasha had no idea how long he stood rooted to the same spot, his eyes unblinking and mouth just gaping open as his poor brain tried to process what had just happened. His body was completely frozen as he vaguely registered the scent of dinner as it came and went, followed soon by the murmurs and rustling of the others as they broke off for the night and settled down to sleep.  
  
And still he stood, perfectly motionless in the soft, quiet night.  
  
Kagome... His sweet, kind, innocent Kagome had just looked him in the eye and told him quite clearly to go fuck himself.  
  
***  
  
Inuyasha was still awake as the sun lightened the sky from dusky violet to pale pink. However, he was now sitting on the ground less than a foot away from Kagome's head, his eyes glued to her face as they had been ever since he had rather numbly stumbled back to camp and planted himself in that spot. Out of habit, he had registered Miroku's place against a tree, his staff held loosely against his shoulder in an upright position, and Sango curled up with Kirara a fair distance from the lecherous monk. Shippo, as always, was snuggled in with Kagome, his ear pressed to her heart as he snored lightly. The damn runt hadn't moved once the entire night, but then again, neither had Kagome.  
  
And here he sat, crouched on all fours, ears twitching as his gaze finally strayed down to watch her chest rise and fall almost hypnotically with the even breaths of deep sleep. His head was foggy, still spinning, and he was certain it wasn't going to stop anytime soon. He couldn't possibly have heard her right. Kagome, 'his' Kagome would never dream of saying that to anyone! Well, okay, she could shout it at Naraku until she was blue in the face and he wouldn't care, but that would be different. For her to say it to 'him' as though it was the most natural thing in the world? He was more convinced than ever that something was seriously wrong with the girl.  
  
There were youkai in her time, so... couldn't there be witches too? Had someone or something in her time enchanted her and she just wasn't telling them?  
  
That thought hurt. Didn't she trust at least him enough to tell him if something like that had happened? They'd been through very nearly everything together and he'd protected her! He'd nearly been killed on a few occassion; she'd damn well better trust him!  
  
Inuyasha was quite abruptly knocked to the ground, his head throbbing as he growled, glaring up from his prone position into the disapproving face of the monk. "And they call me hentai," Miroku clucked his tongue, fingering his staff meaningfully. "It is not proper to stare at a Kagome- sama's breasts when she is sleeping, Inuyasha," he scolded.  
  
"And grabbing them when they're awake is?" Inuyasha fumed, righting himself and rubbing his head.  
  
"That is different," Miroku gave a superior sniff, turning his back on the growling hanyou. "I am merely showing my appreciation for the female body," he waved it off nonchalantly.  
  
Inuyasha's hair fluffed out like an angry cat, "Appreciation, my ass!"  
  
Miroku sighed, smacking Inuyasha over the head again almost absently and knocking him to the ground before bending down to stoke the fire, "I am a monk, Inuyasha."  
  
"You're a fucking lech," he muttered from the ground even as he picked himself up and began stretching out kinks he hadn't even realized were there.  
  
"I am merely looking out for Kagome's welfare," he cast a bored look at him over his shoulder. "Which is more than I can say for you lately. What happened last night?"  
  
Inuyasha sputtered, instantly flustered at the reminder of what had him staring at her all night in the first place. There was no way in hell he was telling the priest THAT! With a huff, he ambled over to the fire and sat cross-legged, looking off into the woods with his arms folded in stubborn silence. Readily conveying to the surprised priest that he would add no more to the conversation.  
  
Miroku gave a long-suffering sigh and bent to his task, ignoring the arrogant boy across from him. If the hanyou was going to start the day off irritably it was none of his concern.  
  
"Oi," Inuyasha finally, quietly broke the heavy silence. "You said you felt strange magic around Kagome that day..."  
  
Miroku nodded, glancing up once before looking back at the sleeping girl, "Indeed."  
  
"Have you felt it again?" he demanded.  
  
The monk shrugged, "Kagome has a very strong aura around her at all times, it is sometimes difficult to seperate any specific magic in her, and- "  
  
"Yes or no, priest."  
  
Glaring for his impatience, he rake a hand through his hair, "I believe so."  
  
So that was it, Kagome had to have been enchanted in her time when none of them were there to help her, Inuyasha thought grimly, his mouth set in a hard frown. Why else would she say something like that to him? "When?" he growled, trying to cover his hurt that she refused to confide in them... in him.  
  
"I have caught a feel of it once or twice," Miroku expounded on his previous words. "When I 'can' sense it, it is usually when she trips. However, I had no clue what the source is or what effect it could be having on her. Do you have any suspicions, Inuyasha? Any reason to think it could be unnatural?"  
  
Inuyasha flinched, grumbling under his breath before he spat out, "What else could it be? She must have been put under a spell."  
  
Miroku shook his head, "She hasn't said anything to suggest that."  
  
"She just doesn't trust us enough to say anything," his voice lowered coldly. "But something happened... There's no doubt about that. She's acting so... so..."  
  
"Unlike herself?" the monk offered helpfully, sighing again when the hanyou only grunted at him and went stiff. "I agree that she has been acting odd, but I don't believe she would keep something from us purposefully. At least not if it was truly serious."  
  
"And what if she didn't think it was serious?" Sango's soft comment had both men jumping guiltily and looking over to where the exterminator was calmly sitting on her bedroll. She shrugged at their expressions, "She might think she shouldn't bother us with it."  
  
Miroku blinked several times, calmly his rapidly beating heart, "How long have you been awake, Sango?"  
  
"Not long," she yawned, covering it with her hand. "If we're going to try and figure out what's wrong with Kagome, you should have woken me yourself though, houshi-sama," she frowned at him in annoyance.  
  
Inuyasha felt some of his tension seep away as he processed Sango's idea that Kagome just didn't think the spell important to the rest of them. 'Could it be that she isn't keeping it from me on purpose? Does she just think it isn't serious enough to talk about? Stupid little bitch just doesn't realize how much she needs me to take care of her,' he turned a glare at the sleeping girl in annoyance. Everything would go a lot smoother if she just admitted he was right and stayed here where she belonged.  
  
Catching the direction of his own thoughts in surprise, he growled and turned his gaze back into the woods. It wasn't as though he would care one way or another, it was just that he hated having her disagree all the time. She had a job to do, after all, and it was damned irresponsible of her to run away from it all the time.  
  
Sango was stretching her arms over her head, "Think about it from Kagome's perspective. The only problems she ever talks about are those test things that she has to take. We all know she has more concerns than that," she gave Inuyasha a pointed glare.  
  
He jumped slightly, looking behind him and finally realizing she meant him, "Keh."  
  
"Inuyasha, was Kagome injured when we weren't around?" Miroku turned the conversation before it got really ugly and glanced at the hanyou before sneaking a look at the girl in question to make sure she was still dead to the world.  
  
Inuyasha shook his head, "'Course not, why?"  
  
"You noticed it too?" Sango glanced at the monk curiously and then smacked herself on the forehead. "Mou, what am I thinking? A lecher like you was sure to notice."  
  
When Inuyasha growled, Miroku hurriedly explained, "She's been rubbing her hip a lot, is all. She's never done that before and I thought she might have a wound that was healing."  
  
Inuyasha grudgingly subsided with a short nod of agreement, "That's where the Shikon jewel was inside her when she came here at first."  
  
"Could Naraku be using her connection to the jewel to do something to her?" Sango was instantly concerned, her brows arching with alarm.  
  
Inuyasha snarled, eyes darkening and fangs bared, "No fucking chance I'll let that bastard do anything to Kagome!"  
  
"Shh!" Miroku hissed when Shippo grunted and turned away from them and Kagome stirred restlessly. "None of us will let Naraku bring harm to Kagome-sama, Inuyasha! Besides, she definitely would have told us if it was something like that. And don't you think he would have have tried something else by now?"  
  
"So what do we do?" Sango moved closer to the fire, leaning in so they could keep their voices even lower while Kagome began to rouse.  
  
Inuyasha and Miroku share a look before they both turned resolutely to face the exterminator.  
  
"You talk to her," Inuyasha muttered, glaring at the surprised woman. "Since you're a bitch too she might open up to you."  
  
Sango blinked several times as she stared back at the embarrassed hanyou. He'd sounded so casual, so matter-of-fact when he'd said it that a tiny suspicion began to nudge the back of her mind, "Inuyasha... is it possible you aren't actually 'trying' to be rude every time you call Kagome- chan a bitch?"  
  
Inuyasha turned his face aside sharply, using his hair to hide his flushed cheeks, "She 'is' a bitch."  
  
Sango coughed behind her hand to cover up her sudden amusement, sharing a look with the smiling priest, "I... see."  
  
Miroku cleared his throat, rising to his feet, "At any rate, I believe Inuyasha is correct, Sango. You *are* the only other woman, in addition to being Kagome's friend, and women seem to speak more freely with each other than with men..."  
  
She rolled her eyes and leaned back before muttering with barely revealed sarcasm, "Can't imagine why. Okay, so what do you two suggest I do? It's not like I can just drag her off, ask her why's she acting so weird, and expect her to be honest. She'll blow it off and say she's fine, you know she will."  
  
"Hell, Sango, you're a girl," Inuyasha gave her a dry look and gestured to her as though it should have been obvious. "Fix it!"  
  
Sango arched one brow skeptically, "What?"  
  
"Do the girl thing!" he barked at her, frustrated at her confusion.  
  
"The... girl thing?" she repeated slowly in a disbelieving tone, eyes wide as Miroku nodded in solemn agreement with the hanyou. "And just what 'girl thing' would that be?"  
  
For a moment, Inuyasha was at a loss for words, tilting his head to one side and frowning at her. She was supposed to know this herself, so why was he having to explain? "Ahhh... you know. The...the weird talking and the giggling and shit. That thing girls do when they get together and fix each other's problems!"  
  
Sango just stared at them both for a long moment, her lips twitching. She tried. Oh how she tried, but in the end it was just too much and she threw back her head to roar with laughter. She laughed until tears rolled down her cheeks, pounding at the ground with one fist while she wrapped her other arm around her aching stomach. The sound waking Kagome and Shippo while Inuyasha and Miroku backed away from the laughing woman in growing alarm.  
  
"S-Sango?" Miroku blinked owlishly at her as she stumbled to her feet and made her way to Kagome's side when the girl sat up, looking around for the source of the noise.  
  
Sango caught the arm of a sleepily confused Kagome and started tugging her off in the direction of the river, managing to gasp out, "Wait... just wait gasp until you hear *this,* Kagome-chan!"  
  
When the exterminator had dragged a bleary-eyed Kagome out of their sight, Inuyasha, Miroku and Shippo sat in various stages of bemusement. The three looked at each other wide-eyed until the sound of nearly hysterical laughter from both girls shattered the thick silence. Inuyasha pinned his ears back, wincing at the sound while Shippo clapped his hands over his own ears. Miroku was still staring off in the direction they had gone, tapping his staff against the ground nervously. The rings clinked steadily as the monk shot the hanyou a frown.  
  
Inuyasha recovered from his initial shock, straightening his spine and lifting his head in as regal a pose he could manage with his ears pinned flat against his head in an effort to block the sounds of laughter, "See? The girl thing! Sango *does* know it."  
  
"Somehow I'm not comforted," Miroku groaned, covering his eyes with his hand.  
  
Shippo just looked back and forth between them, his eyes huge as he tried to figure out what Inuyasha and Miroku could have possibly done to Sango to get such a god-awful noise out of her AND Kagome at the same time. Then again, he thought as another piercing shriek filled the air and sent him burrowing into Kagome's sleeping bag for protection, maybe some things were better left to the realm of the unexplainable. 


	5. I think they call it karma...

Usual disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi....  
  
  
  
A/N: I know I'm horrible for dragging it out and making poor Inuyasha stay in the dark about the whole thing. He'll find out soon enough, and I've almost decided how, but now it needs the perfect setup...  
  
Just a couple little bitty notes to hopefully put some questions to rest. Yes, the entire story works into the plot, meaning that the person who enchanted Kagome will be explained and why and all that good stuff. I swear the whole thing fits together and it'll start making sense soon.  
  
(Arigato to all my reviewers for making me laugh with the consistant "motivational" requests. You're swelling my happy little head! Makes me wonder if I should slap up a website and post artwork too.) ^_^  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: What is it they always say about things coming back to you...?  
  
  
  
Kagome was still laughing softly to herself every now and then as they walked along the narrow path towards the next village. Her good mood was due mostly to the fact that Inuyasha had barely spoken more than two words to anyone all day. The hanyou had been more or less avoiding her, but every now and then, he would turn and look back at her. His face was always set in a strangely pensive expression, his eyes full of bemused concern, but with so many thoughts and feelings racing just beneath that she couldn't even begin to decipher all of them. He looked...miserable. And she was nuts for thinking it was the most adorable thing she'd ever seen.  
  
When he wasn't looking at her with those big puppy dog eyes, he was glaring accusingly at Sango. Then he would growl and huff for a bit before turning his face away from all, occassionally even bounding off ahead of them. But he was always back in less than an hour and the whole thing would start over again.  
  
She shook her head, deciding to put it all out of her mind and just enjoy the reprieve for the moment. She absently reached to rub the small of her back, grimacing a little as she did so. Getting dropped all the time was certainly painful, and she was sure her entire backside had to be black and blue by now. She glanced idly to where Inuyasha had reappeared, scowling at her again. So that's why Inuyasha was always complaining about his back when she went a little overboard.  
  
Sighing, she hurried to catch up to him, reaching out and touching his shoulder to get his attention, "Inuyasha?"  
  
He hunched in on himself a bit, ears flattening as though he was half- afraid of what she was going to say. Growling, he turned his head away to keep her from seeing his face, "What?"  
  
Kagome interlocked her hands in front of her, fidgeting nervously as she softly said, "I'm sorry for all the times I got angry and used the rosary. Especially when I did it more than once. I didn't mean to hurt you."  
  
Inuyasha froze as she kept walking past him. His eyes widened and for the second time in as many days he was shocked out of his mind. 'At least this time it was a "nice" kind of surprise,' he winced to think of the other words still fresh in his mind. There was only one time Kagome had ever apologized for sitting him and that had been so long ago... She'd been trying to share food from the villagers and she had said it absently, the apology almost joking when he'd felt like killing something. So why now?  
  
He started after them thoughtfully when he realized how far he was lagging behind, 'What the hell kind of spell is she under?'  
  
Kagome almost smiled when Inuyasha caught up, walking beside her and shooting her searching glances when he thought she wouldn't notice. Okay so maybe this would work out somehow, she let her own gaze drift to him when he sighed and walked on ahead.  
  
"Stay close, Kagome," he muttered gruffly.  
  
*Thump.*  
  
Maybe not.  
  
**  
  
"Inuyasha, we can stay here for tonight!" Miroku waved the group closer to the large house in the center of the village. "The elder has very graciously offered us rooms as long as I exorcise the spirit hanging over his home."  
  
Kagome had gone tense from her place on Inuyasha's back when the monk spoke and he frowned at that, but shrugged it off, grumbling to himself, "Of course the nicest home in town is the one with the fucking evil spirits."  
  
"He's just trying to help us out, Inuyasha," Kagome released her grip when she noticed how stiff she become and nudged his side with her knee in a hint to be let down.  
  
Inuyasha had ruined her ability to stay mad yet again when he'd turned around after she fell, shaking his head and backtracking to her. She had been entertaining a few of her favorite murderous thoughts when he had just scooped her up and settled her on his back. He hadn't said a word, just kept going as though nothing happened and Kagome had sighed, shifting herself into a better position and wrapping her legs high around his waist when the feeling in them returned. Inuyasha had grunted, but hooked his hands under her knees to hold her more securely and kept going.  
  
"Not all of us can find a perfect tree like you do," she teased lightly, giving his shoulders a brief squeeze beneath her hands.  
  
Inuyasha's grip on her knees tightened momentarily in response and he blushed, hiding his face with his hair as unhooked his hands and let her slide down his back, "Keh."  
  
She might have been comfortable enough in her "jeans" to lock her legs around his waist, but he was still a bit shaken at how much he had enjoyed the sensation. He was reluctant to give it up, but he had already noticed the looks the surrounding humans were giving Kagome as they realized he was a youkai. He cast her a sideways glance to gauge her reaction, but she seemed perfectly oblivious, straightening her shirt and absently running a hand through her tousled hair.  
  
An elderly woman standing with the man who was apparantly the village elder cleared her throat as she looked Kagome over with a critical eye, "Would you like to bathe, child? We could get you some proper clothing as well if you'd like."  
  
Kagome blushed, tugging self-consciously at her shirt, "Ah...a bath would be... nice. Arigato..."  
  
Inuyasha's brows lowered, growling deep in his throat when the woman gave him a disapproving frown, making it clear she felt he was the reason for Kagome's outlandish attire. Kagome just sighed and shook her head, reaching out to lay a restraining hand on the hanyou's arm. He looked down at her sharply, brows arched in silent inquiry.  
  
"Let it go, Inuyasha," she murmured low enough to only reach his ears. "She doesn't know what she's talking about. Don't let it get to you."  
  
"Keh," he folded his arms over his chest and averted his face.  
  
He looked back at her when he heard her go walking away from him. He frowned again when Kagome bowed to the old woman and was led away, shifting his eyes to Sango. When the exterminator started past him to enter the house, he leaned over to lightly kick her in the shin.  
  
"Hey!" Sango yelped, turning to glare at the source of her newfound discomfort.  
  
Inuyasha's face was schooled into his best impression of innocence as he looked up into the sky as though it was the most amazing thing he'd seen in his life. When Sango huffed impatiently and started to turn her back, he coughed suggestively and jerked his head in the direction Kagome had gone.  
  
Sango rolled her eyes, sighing heavily but giving him a nod to show she knew what he was "hinting." She bowed to the elder, "Would it be possible to get a bath myself? Kagome-chan and I could share if it's not too much trouble."  
  
"Of course not," the man nodded, motioning for her to follow him. "Our bath is definitely large enough for you and your young friend."  
  
"Great for the girl thing," she muttered beneath her breath with a sideways glance Inuyasha. She shook her head at how proud the hanyou looked of himself, thinking that some behavior was just universally male rather than human or youkai.  
  
*  
  
Kagome twisted, prodding at the tattoo in frustration, "Damn you, you aren't supposed to get darker! What does it mean? Aren't you bad enough already?"  
  
'Great, Kagome, you're going crazy. You're talking to a tattoo,' she winced when she realized how ridiculous that was. Then again, there were times when the stupid thing seemed to pulse on it's own, like a heartbeat, and lately it was doing it more and more often. She was losing the feeling in her legs a lot faster now too, the sensation more like she was being pulled down instead of just falling. 'This is so unfair,' she groaned, sinking down into the bath and burying her face in her hands. 'Inuyasha's spell hasn't changed,' she pouted.  
  
Then again, she never asked about it, maybe this was normal? Was it stronger now than it had been at first? She couldn't just up and ask about it without him getting suspicious, and they were too far from Kaede's village to make a trip back until they found this new shard.  
  
'What did I ever do to deserve this?' Kagome leaned back against the stone ledge of the bath, folding her arms behind her head. 'It really is so completely unfair!'  
  
'You've been doing it to Inuyasha for two years and it never bothered you before,' an annoying little voice scolded in the back of her mind.  
  
'That's different!' she argued back, a blush staining her cheeks. 'He tried to kill me and that's why he's got it in the first place!'  
  
'But since then he's saved your life so many times you can't keep count,' it returned smugly. 'Admit it, you never thought twice about dropping him until it started happening to you. You just don't like losing that sense of power over him.'  
  
'It's not like that at all-!' she scowled, but stopped abruptly and slapped a hand over her eyes with a loud groan. "Oh God, I'm arguing with myself. I really have lost it."  
  
"Kagome-chan? Are you all right?" Sango's voice had Kagome going stiff with a yelp of surprise.  
  
Kagome spun around, slapping both hands under water to cover her hip, "Sango-chan! Oh, you startled me!"  
  
Sango blinked in surprise. Now that was odd... There had been a few times when they had been bathing when Miroku had made the attempt to peek at them. 'Well,' she closed her eyes, a tell-tale twitch starting at her right eye, 'more than a few. But the times he got close enough and surprised us, she covered her chest. She's more concerned with covering her scar? Why?'  
  
"Kagome-" Sango slid down into the bath, pinning the younger girl with a hard look. "What's wrong? And don't tell me it's nothing, everyone's worried."  
  
Kagome blushed so hard, the rosy tint went all the way down her chest, "E-everyone?"  
  
"Ah-ha! Something *is* wrong!" she pointed triumphantly. "C'mon, Kagome-chan, tell me what's going on."  
  
She sighed in resignation, puzzling through what she ought to tell Sango. She really 'wanted' to tell her everything, but she just couldn't... "I don't really know, Sango-chan," she raked a hand through her soaking hair.  
  
She leaned forward eagerly, concerned at the hesitation in her voice, "It was in your time, wasn't it?"  
  
"Hai," the blush hadn't decreased at all and to distract herself, she started to absently twist her hair in her fingers. "My friends from school... ah, they thought I... needed some relaxation. They had this whole thing planned out and they got me really drunk..."  
  
"Drunk?" Sango tensed, trying not to jump to conclusions, but by Kagome's blush and her very hesitant explanation she was getting worried. "Kagome-chan, did someone-?"  
  
She looked at her blankly and then gasped, waving her hands to deny the unspoken question, "Ah...ah, nothing like that! It was just... I just am kinda hazy about the whole night. I remember seeing this strange little shrine and there was magic coming from it, and well, I was drunk..."  
  
"What happened in the shrine?" Sango relaxed, sending a silent prayer to whatever powers that be that she had been wrong with that first fear.  
  
"That's where I'm not exactly sure," she frowned, her gaze turning inward. "There was an old man, at least I think he was old...a priest or a monk I think. I can't remember his face, but he was...tattooed," she self- consciously rubbed her hip, making sure to keep herself twisted just enough to keep Sango from seeing the darkening mark. "The place was full of magic, but the next thing I remember is being back on the street with my friends. I couldn't find the shrine again."  
  
Frowning, the exterminator sat back, rubbing her chin as she pondered that, "And then what?"  
  
Kagome let out a heavy breath, shrugging as she reached over the edge of the bath in search of a towel, "I went home and then I came here. Nothing... nothing's different, except... Except there are times I just fall. For no reason. I don't know what's going on..."  
  
Sango reached out, gently setting a hand on Kagome's shoulder. She tilted her head to one side curiously when she jumped, but shook that off, "Why didn't you say something?"  
  
"I just didn't see a point," she chewed on her lower lip nervously. "It isn't like it's a big problem. I mean I feel like a total klutz, but I figure it'll go away eventually."  
  
"You should at least tell Inuyasha," she urged as the younger girl eased out of the bath and wrapped the towel around her. "I don't want him telling me to do the 'girl thing' every time you trip."  
  
Kagome made a face, "And have him blow up at me with another reason not to go home? No way. He fights me enough over school, just imagine what he'd do with this!"  
  
Sango rubbed the back of her neck, "I see your point. Maybe you could just... ah, omit portions of it or something."  
  
She shook her head, "I'll think about it."  
  
Sango leaned back, closing her eyes, "You've been around Inuyasha way too long, Kagome-chan."  
  
"Hn? Why do you say that?" Kagome paused in pulling on the simple kimono the old woman had provided.  
  
"The longer you're with him, the more stubborn you get," she flashed her a teasing smile.  
  
"Keh," Kagome snorted, then clapped her hands over her mouth with her eyes wide.  
  
Sango threw back her head and laughed as Kagome slid her hand down to cover her throat. 'Good God, that did NOT just come out of me!' she blushed fiercely, shaking her head in denial.  
  
"Maybe it's more than just the pig-headed attitude," she grinned broadly at the shocked look on Kagome's face.  
  
*  
  
Sango was rather abruptly snatched from the walkway on her way back to their respective rooms. Instinctively, she spun around to attack, only to have her fist caught in a clawed hand, "Oi, calm down, Sango, it's just me."  
  
"Inuyasha," she used her other hand to smack him upside the head. "Can't you just ask to talk to me like a normal person instead of grabbing me like a thief?"  
  
"Nevermind that, what did you find out?" he demanded impatiently, rubbing his head.  
  
"Mou, Inuyasha, you make it sound like an interrogation," Sango shook her head. When he just glared at her, she let out a long sigh and repeated what Kagome had told her. Well, 'most' of what she had told her anyway. She decided to leave out the part where Kagome's friends got her drunk. And seeing Inuyasha's expression grow darker, she decided she'd made the right choice. Let Kagome fill in the holes later, but at least this would get Inuyasha calmed down a bit. Or off her back finally... She hoped.  
  
"Damn, I keep telling her she needs to stay here where I can keep an eye on her," he growled, clenching a fist and sending a sharp glare towards the darkened room Kagome occupied. "That bitch gets into more trouble than any other creature I've ever seen!"  
  
Sango shot him a dry look, "Of course, being the guardian of the Shikon no Tama has nothing to do with that."  
  
"Keh!" he folded his arms over his chest.  
  
Sango couldn't stop the quiet laugh that escaped, thinking back to Kagome's very 'Inuyasha' response in the bath. "Relax, Inuyasha. Let's just get the shard and go home. You can speak with Kaede-sama about it."  
  
Inuyasha nodded shortly, turning his back on her and letting himself sink down into his thoughts. Weird monks in the future doing things to his Kagome that she couldn't remember; making her clumsy for no apparant reason. Her new habit of rubbing at her hip all the time... It all jumbled together until it was completely blocked out by the single thought that still bothered him most. Kagome's voice still repeated in his mind saying... saying 'THAT!' Although she 'did' apologize for sitting him all the time. Still... What the hell had that monk done to her?  
  
"Ite!" Inuyasha was pulled from his thoughts rather abruptly when a sharp pain streaked through his ear. Growling angrily, he snatched Shippo by the tail and dragged him down to face him, "That fucking hurts, you little brat!"  
  
"You're scary when you think, Inuyasha," the kitsune made a face at him.  
  
"Why you little-!" his eyebrow twitched in supressed anger.  
  
"If they're not careful they'll wake the entire household," Sango muttered sourly, looking out at where Shippo ran squealing from the fuming hanyou.  
  
"Let's just hope we get this shard quickly," Miroku sighed wearily. 


	6. Hanyou's should NEVER giggle....

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and co belong to Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
A/N: All right, minna, the moment that I'm sure a few of you doubted would ever come... Hey, I might be an evil puppy, but I'm not completely heartless!  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Hanyou's should never giggle....  
  
  
  
Kagome fingered the vial with the Shikon shards as she distractedly regarded their newly aquired piece. Maybe as some bizzare payback for how difficult her life had been for the past almost two weeks, the fight with the youkai holding it had been almost disgustingly easy. Inuyasha had barely even warmed up by the time it was over and he was still grumbling about that now as they made their way back through the woods towards Kaede's village.  
  
The only problem was that the hanyou was staying close, and he kept watching her as though he was waiting for something. Annoyed, she turned to look at him, "What?"  
  
Inuyasha jumped a bit, surprised at her tone, but shaking it off to glare at her, "What? You've gotten so damn clumsy that everytime I turn my back you're on the ground. I don't want you slowing us down."  
  
Her eyes narrowed sharply and her mouth opened to form the word, but she snapped it shut. For a moment an almost pained look crossed Inuyasha's face, but he turned away from her and kept walking.  
  
'She was there! Dammit, she was going to say it, I know she was!' he clenched his hands into fists and glared back at her. She had her hand on her hip again, but she was just resting it there instead of rubbing this time, and her expression was distant. 'Why does she keep stopping herself?'  
  
And then his brows lowered dangerously, but this time the anger was completely self-directed, 'And why the fuck am I trying to figure out why she won't do it? Am I that big of an idiot? I should be happy, dammit!'  
  
Somehow, though, he just couldn't be. It was just too weird! She had always used the subduing spell, almost on a whim it seemed at times. So what was stopping her now?  
  
Resolutely, he turned forward again to puzzle over what Sango had told him about Kagome. She definitely knew the girl thing, he thought with a snort, right down to not telling him everything Kagome had really said. She was holding back, he was sure of it, but he also knew there was nothing he could do to get the rest out of her. And that left Kagome.  
  
"You give me a fucking headache sometimes, bitch," he growled low.  
  
"That about makes us even then," Kagome's dry response had him stumbling in consternation.  
  
When had her hearing gotten so good?  
  
**  
  
"Baba, we need to talk," Inuyasha stood in the doorway to the hut, shooting the others a glare to suggest they made themselves scarce. "Now, while Kagome's busy."  
  
Kaede's brows rose at that, but she nodded and motioned for the others to leave, "What seems to be troubling you, Inuyasha?"  
  
He waited until the others filed out, growling when Sango shot him a glare and grabbed his hair to yank his head down. He yelped when she hissed in his ear, "You made me tell you what Kagome told me, so I expect 'you' to do the same."  
  
Inuyasha shook her hand loose and scowled at her, but she simply gave him back a hard glare of her own before she followed Miroku and Shippo out. He set his jaw and turned back to the old woman, leaning aganst the doorframe rather than taking a seat so he could watch for Kagome's return from the river. He fought the urge to smirk, she was bathing in the first place he'd seen her naked and briefly he wondered if he should sneak up on her to see if THAT would finally get a "sit." He shook off that idea and looked back at Kaede; it was more important to find out what the old woman knew about what had happened to Kagome.  
  
"Kagome talked to you when she came back from her time," he started, his ears flicking back and forth as he folded his hands within the sleeves of his haori. "Tell me what's going on, baba."  
  
Kaede blinked several times, her brows drawing together in confusion, "Has something happened?"  
  
"Don't play fucking dumb with me," Inuyasha bared his fangs threateningly. "I heard her talking to you. She had to have told you what that monk in her time did to her."  
  
She rose slowly to her feet, giving the hanyou a disdainful look, "Inuyasha, I haven't got the faintest idea what you're talking about. All Kagome spoke with me about was your subduing spell. She wanted to know if a spell could be cast into something like a tattoo, or if the spell word could be changed. That was all."  
  
Confused, he shook his head, "That can't be all."  
  
"She also asked if there was a counter spell or some way to break it without her removing the necklace," the old miko shrugged. "She seemed very nervous, but the more we spoke, she seemed to relax. It was a very strange conversation, Inuyasha, but she said nothing of her time to me."  
  
Inuyasha frowned, looking off towards the forest, "There are too many things about all of this that just don't make any sense. She's acting so strange... Baba, do you know of any spells that would make someone fall constantly. For no reason," he added in annoyance when she looked pointedly at the rosary.  
  
"There are spells for nearly everything," Kaede replied matter-of- factly. "Have you noticed anything else that would indicate she's enchanted?"  
  
He averted his profile when he felt his cheeks heat, "She, ah, has said some things she... normally wouldn't say. And she's only used this damn thing once no matter what I say to her," he tugged at the necklace absently.  
  
Kaede's lips twitched and she cleared her throat, "You have been trying to get her to use the spell?"  
  
Inuyasha rounded on her defensively, "Look, she's acting weird, okay?! I'm trying to get things back to normal!"  
  
"Why not ask Kagome?" she offered stoically, although it was obvious she was still highly amused at the thought of the hanyou attempting to trick Kagome into sitting him.  
  
He snorted, "Keh, she hasn't told me anything yet. If she wanted to, she'd have done it already. She obviously doesn't want to talk."  
  
"When has that ever stopped you?" Kaede sat by the firepit, stirring at the pot of herbs casually.  
  
Inuyasha cocked his head to one side, reaching up to toy with the rosary. He hadn't felt this unbalanced in ages, everything jumbling together in a big chaotic mess in his mind. Kagome acting odd, saying things he never thought to hear from her; monks in the future casting falling spells... Kaede was right, he wasn't acting like himself either. He was NEVER this uncertain. His gaze turned inward, unfocused and thoughtful as he heaved a deep sigh, "I feel like I'm losing my fucking mind."  
  
"You're worried about Kagome-sama," the old woman said softly. "I believe under these circumstances it is understandable."  
  
He nodded shortly, turning away from the doorway towards the forest, "Keep her here until I return, baba. Don't let her go to the well. I have to think."  
  
"I will do my best, Inuyasha," Kaede promised as he leapt off towards his forest in a red and white blur.  
  
**  
  
"Kagome!" Shippo walked along the path, following her scent as he called for her. "Kagome?"  
  
The little kitsune hopped onto a high boulder, scrambling over the side and letting out a happy sigh when he caught sight of the Kagome stepping into her funny clothes. The sigh turned into a confused frown, however, when he saw a blur of dark red on her hip for just a split second as she finished pulling up her jeans.  
  
Kagome was pulling a small purple shirt when she heard the loud shriek and spun around only to have an orange and white ball of fluff crash into her stomach and knock her flat on her back.  
  
"WAAAH! You're hurt! You're bleeding!" Shippo squealed, clinging to her stomach and hiding his face against her shirt.  
  
"Shh! Shippo, calm down, I'm not bleeding!" she sat up quickly, her eyes darting around as she prayed Inuyasha was far enough away not to catch the kitsune's cries. "Look at me, Shippo, I'm okay. Really."  
  
He sniffed, wiping his arm over his eyes and peering up at her, "But- but I saw it!"  
  
"It's just a bruise, Shippo," Kagome stammered out quickly, her mind working a mile a minute to come up with a plausible excuse. "I caught my hip on the...edge of my desk right before I came back. That's all. I'm not bleeding or hurt, Shippo, it's really nothing!"  
  
He looked up at her, his eyes suspicious, but he let his little hand moved down to poke her hip where he'd seen the "bruise." She looked worried, but she didn't move when he dug his little claw into the fabric of her pants. Nodding in satisfaction, he stood, but only to change position and sit on her stomach, "You're sure it's nothing?"  
  
"Hai," she fought the blush creeping into her cheeks, covering it up by wrapping her arms around the kitsune and rising to her feet. "Just don't tell Inuyasha, you know how he's been about me being clumsy lately."  
  
"But you have been!" Shippo protested, craning his neck to look up at her pink cheeks. "Don't be embarrassed, I'm sure you'll stop falling!" he scrambled up to her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her neck.  
  
Kagome sighed and nodded, patting his head, "I hope so."  
  
"I'm hungry," he announced, remembering his reason for coming in search of his surrogate mother in the first place.  
  
"Where's Inuyasha?" she stuffed all her soaps back into her bath bag, folding the damp towel and setting that on top before turning back in the direction of the village.  
  
"He's speaking with Kaede-baba," Shippo made a face. "They kicked us out."  
  
Kagome's heart skipped a beat, half hopeful and half terrified, "Shippo, could you do me a favor?"  
  
Shippo puffed out his chest proudly, "You bet!"  
  
She smiled warmly, ruffling his hair, "Okay, I have to go back home for a little bit-"  
  
"But you can't go yet!" he was instantly protesting.  
  
Kagome pressed a finger to his lips quickly, "Just an hour or so. I'll bring you back a treat for after dinner if you watch my pack and make sure Inuyasha stays out of it."  
  
Shippo thought for a moment, then closed his eyes and nodded solemnly, "Chocolate."  
  
She burst out laughing, cuddling him to her, "I never should have given you that."  
  
"Too late," he gave her his sappiest smile, wagging his little tail. "Please?" he tried to make his eyes as big as possible.  
  
"Okay, okay, chocolate," she kissed him on the nose and set him down. "If Inuyasha leaves Kaede's hut, try to distract him."  
  
Shippo nodded and raced off down the path while Kagome pivoted in the direction of the woods and ran off.  
  
'Perfect!' Kagome silently prayed her luck would hold out as she made her way through the woods. 'Inuyasha's busy and that means I have a straight shot to the well! I won't have to worry about him arguing with me about "staying" here,' she cringed at the thought of the usual flow their arguements at the well took. 'I can be there and back before he even realizes I've gone.'  
  
However, she couldn't quite shake the feeling of impending doom nagging at the back of her mind.  
  
**  
  
Inuyasha looked up at the sky, searching for answers that continued to elude him no matter how hard he thought. Everything that was going on just seemed like broken pieces of a puzzle; too many holes for it to fall into place and start making sense. Kagome taking up a sudden interest in his subduing spell... His ears flattened as he recalled what Kaede had said, 'No fucking way she's tattooing the thing into me!'  
  
But why now? After so long when he was sure she loved being able to smash his face into the ground without fearing any sort of repercussions, why would she develop a sudden aversion to using it?  
  
There was the story of the monk in her time, but why wouldn't she remember anything about it? Had she been put under a spell even before that and her own miko powers kept them from blocking out everything? But why would a monk in the future want to cast a spell on Kagome that didn't do anything but make her clumsy? Had it gone wrong somehow?  
  
And the language she was using lately! Was it just that she had been around him so long that she was picking up on it or was it something more serious? He'd never had her call him anything worse than "baka" and suddenly she was telling him to go fuck himself?  
  
How did all of it tie into her new habit of rubbing the scar on her hip? She looked like she was in pain some of the times she rubbed it, but other times, she just looked distant. It was like her thoughts were drifting a million miles away, and from the expressions that would cross her face, he didn't think they were pleasant musings. There were times she almost looked afraid....  
  
Okay, so that was what was really bothering him. The thought that Kagome was afraid of something and refused to talk to him, her protector, about what had scared her so badly. Didn't she trust him to take care of it? He might not always be as nice to her as he could be, but, dammit, that didn't mean he'd stand for anyone else giving her trouble! As soon as he found out who'd dared to do something to his Kagome he was going to rip them to pieces. Slowly...  
  
Inuyasha sat straight up when a very familiar scent reached him, ears swivelling in the direction it indicated as his brows lowered in a frown. Grunting, he leapt up into a shadowed branch and waited, his amber eyes gleaming with banked anger, 'Keh, couldn't that old hag do better than that?'  
  
Kagome came into view a moment later, her bath bag slung over her shoulder as she looked behind her nervously. He couldn't help but smirk at that. 'You really think I'm stupid enough to not think you'd try and take advantage of this, little girl?' he shook his head and waited.  
  
Kagome took deep breaths, letting the bag slide off her shoulder as she backed towards the well, her eyes darting around the woods. She hadn't been able to shake that foreboding feeling in the pit of her stomach and it was putting her on edge. Better to get this over with and get back in a hurry. No telling when Inuyasha would-  
  
"Oi!"  
  
"Gah!" Kagome spun around so fast, she tripped on her bag and would have gone down if Inuyasha hadn't reached and caught her by the front of her shirt.  
  
He was sitting very calmly on the lip of the well, the smirk on his face smug in the extreme at the sight of her alarm and chagrin. He shook his head and tsked in disapproval as he released her, "Running away again, Kagome?"  
  
"Inu-Inuyasha!" she clutched her hand over her heart, hoping she didn't drop dead right there from the fright he'd given her. "I was just-"  
  
"Running away," he nodded, cutting her off. "What's wrong, bitch, did you think I wouldn't notice?"  
  
He watched in amusement as a dark blush spread over her cheeks and she looked away guiltily. This was much more fun than chasing after her and screaming, just waiting for that sit that would slam him to the ground. She was completely flustered and obviously embarressed. Oh yeah, this was fucking great, his smile widened.  
  
"Shippo said you were, ah, talking to Kaede-sama," she mumbled out, biting her lower lip and trying to gauge how long it would take her to knock him out of the way and get down the well.  
  
Inuyasha rose to his feet with the grace only a deadly predator is capable of using, "Did he?"  
  
Now Kagome was getting really nervous. This wasn't like Inuyasha at all! He was being calm, goading almost and he was... Her head snapped up to his face and she was instantly scowling. 'Damn him, he's *enjoying* this!'  
  
"Thought you'd take the chance to go back to your stupid time without fucking telling me?" now his voice rose slightly, showing the anger that was simmering just below the surface. The familiar anger that seemed to swamp him whenever he realized Kagome was trying to leave him.  
  
"It's just for an hour or so, Inuyasha, I'll be right back, I promise!" she swallowed her own anger at his attitude to swallow her pride and plead. "You can even come get me if you want to make sure."  
  
Inuyasha's brows rose and then lowered suspiciously, "No."  
  
"C'mon, Inuyasha, I promised to get Shippo a treat," she set her jaw, biting down on the "sit" that was trying to work its way free.  
  
"No," he shook his head, reaching out to grab her arm as he hopped off the well and started back towards the village. If she wasn't going to "sit" him, then she wasn't going anywhere. That was the only reason he ever let her go back anyhow... Simple as that.  
  
'No help for it,' Kagome let out a frustrated huff and yanked her arm out of his grip. "Sit," she whirled to make a dash for the well.  
  
Inuyasha was instantly snarling from his prone position on the ground, all thoughts of this getting things back to normal gone from him mind. She was only doing it to leave him...again! "Dammit, Kagome, you're staying here!"  
  
Thump.  
  
Inuyasha's ears pricked up at that sound. Kagome was still on his side of the well, he could smell her. Cursing the fact that he was facing the wrong way, he instead smirked to cover his annoyance and called back, "What's wrong, bitch? Did you trip again?"  
  
Kagome sat silent, her hands tightly fisted on her thighs and her eye twitching with surpressed anger as she looked from Inuyasha's prone form to the well just barely out of reach. She ground her teeth together in desperate frustration, 'He can't find out about this, Kagome, he just CAN'T!'  
  
"Oi, didn't you hear me?" Inuyasha had enough mobility back that he could pry up his upper half and he craned his head back to look at Kagome. His brows rose suspiciously when he saw her sitting cross-legged a foot away from the well, her entire body shaking as she looked between him and the little wooden structure. Everything about her body and scent just screamed that she was dying to run away, but she wasn't...  
  
"Just please don't fight me this time, Inuyasha," she pleaded, her legs twitching when the muscles slowly began to regain feeling. That meant Inuyasha would be up momentarily as well. If she could just make it before he reached her! "You don't understand! I need to go home!" There! The feeling was back! Kagome shot to her feet.  
  
"Keh, you're the one who doesn't understand!" he was yelling as he leapt up, already rushing at her. "You're supposed to stay-!"  
  
"Dammit!" Kagome dropped instantly. A very surprised Inuyasha went skidding past her even as she yelled out, "Sit!"  
  
For a long moment, Inuyasha lay unmoving in the dirt, his mind reeling. 'She swore again...when she tripped. But I didn't see her trip, she just kinda dropped? ...wait....'  
  
Kagome started getting worried. She leaned forward as far as her frozen legs would allow and called out tenatively, "Inuyasha? Inuyasha, are you okay?"  
  
A very interesting suspicion was slowly gathering in the back of Inuyasha's mind, but before that thought went any further, he had to test it... 'She swore when she fell and she fell when I said...' He let out what sounded like a resigned sigh, lifting his face to give her what he hoped was an annoyed enough expression, "Fine, you want to leave, bitch? Go! Get back to your fucking time!"  
  
Kagome pulled back, looking at the well and down to the waiting hanyou. She fidgeted nervously, rubbing her thighs and leaning foward in an attempt to cover her immobility, "Are...are you sure you're okay?"  
  
Inuyasha snorted, even as his eyes narrowed on her hands, "Do you think a weakling like you could hurt me? Go on! What are you waiting for?"  
  
Kagome's spine straightened at the insult, her hands fisting again, "I'm not going anywhere until... until you apologize!"  
  
One brow arched and he experimentally flexed his muscles, the "sit" was wearing off. Soon... "And what the hell do I have to apologize for?" he cocked his head to one side and regarded her flushed cheeks. 'You're definitely trying to be secretive, Kagome. Could it really be...?'  
  
"What else? Being so rude to me!" she answered, her legs tensing as the last of the spell began to fade.  
  
Inuyasha propped his chin on his upraised fists, if he was right.... "No."  
  
Kagome's face filled with relief when her control returned, so distracted that she didn't notice Inuyasha's own eyes lighting up with what could only be called a fierce sort of victorious delight. She was already jumping back to her feet and spinning towards the well. Inuyasha's hand snaked out, catching her ankle and knocking her off balance. Kagome fell on her stomach, nearly knocking the wind out of herself as she rolled over to glare at Inuyasha, "I thought you told me to go home!"  
  
He waited until she had stood again, a dangerous gleam in his eyes, "But I'm not finished, Kagome..."  
  
A chill went down her spine at the softness in his voice and fear filled her eyes and scent when she caught the look on his face. She backed away from him slowly as he rose to his feet, looking down at her as though studying a new species or a very interesting piece of prey. "Inuyasha, wha- what's gotten into... you?" she tried to swallow her panic. 'Don't let him have figured this out! Dear GOD, don't let him have figured this out!'  
  
"Really, Kagome, you should *stay* here," he emphasized carefully, smirking at her as his eyes narrowed wickedly.  
  
"SIT!" Kagome yelled out as she felt her legs buckle; Inuyasha hitting the ground immediately with her.  
  
She sat cross-legged, her back to the well with Inuyasha's head not a foot from her lap. Even the wind seemed to be holding its breath in the heavy silence that followed her frantic shout. He was again lying motionless, but this time Kagome was leaning away from him, terrified and panicking. 'He said it. He said it on purpose! Be guessing, Inuyasha, please...!'  
  
On the ground, Inuyasha's shoulders began to shake.  
  
Kagome's eyes widened even more, if such a thing were possible and she tenatively extended a shaking hand, "Inu...Inuyasha?"  
  
The shaking grew worse, taking in his entire body from head to toe.  
  
"Oh God, what have I done?" she whispered, both hands now hovering uncertainly over his head. "Inuyasha? Please be okay! I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"  
  
She broke off when a sound escaped the shaking hanyou.  
  
A sound suspiciously like a...like... a....  
  
*Giggle?!*  
  
Kagome was again leaning away, her voice shaking and unbelievable hesitant as she whispered in disbelief, "Inu...yasha?"  
  
Inuyasha very slowly raised his head, his golden eyes glowing triumphantly with inner fire and a smile of pure, unholy excitement and feral ecstasy spread wide across his face.  
  
***  
  
*BWAH HAH HAHHAHAAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!*  
  
***  
  
Miroku and Sango froze in place, eyes widening as they turned in the direction of Inuyasha's Forest. Birds and animals were scrambling madly from the trees and bushes while that nearly maniacal sound echoed painfully loud through the previously quiet, still air. Shippo and Kirara both tried to hide in Sango's hair, cringing as all around them, activity came to a complete halt. All eyes were turned in a mixture of terror and confusion in the direction of that horrifying noise.  
  
And that great, rumbling laugh just kept on going, getting louder and louder...  
  
"What...what IS that?!" Shippo whispered fearfully, hands clamped over his ears.  
  
Miroku turned a look full of disbelief to their concerned faces, blinking as he haltingly admitted, "I...believe it is...Inuyasha..." 


	7. Amazing what an equalizer can do....

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
A/N: Sooo....Inuyasha has now figured out he has a spell for Kagome too. Just an advanced warning, this chapter turned out kinda squishy (almost pure total fluff at Kagome's expense). Inuyasha's really OOC, but well... that's the way it went. Things will start getting back to a semblance of normalcy next chapter (no this is far from the last one). This has more admitting than anything else. I hope I'm not updating too fast or anything.... ^_~  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Amazing what an equalizer can do for a relationship...  
  
  
  
Kagome stared up at Inuyasha with something akin to true horror as the hanyou wrapped his arms around his stomach, threw back his head and laughed so hard and so loud that she clapped her hands over her own ears to dampen the sound and cringed away from him. As she watched, he sank to his knees, tears rolling down his cheeks freely as his entire body shook from the force of his laughter. The numbness wore off slowly and Kagome moved with painstaking caution in an attempt to escape the laughing hanyou's attention. Edging towards the well, her only escape, she forced her shaking muscles to move step by wary step.  
  
Inuyasha was rolling on his back now, knocking his head back against the ground and still his laughter rang out, making her ears ring from the sheer volume. She very carefully eased onto the lip of the well, her eyes still locked on his face. For a moment she just stared, half transfixed by the pure unadulterated glee in his expression and laughter while her other half stayed horrified at his reaction. She had to get away before he regained control and she caught the end of whatever he would wind down to.  
  
Kagome shoved off quickly, closing her eyes and waiting for the silence that would indicate she was back in her time.  
  
She had barely begun to fall when two clawed hands caught her beneath the arms and hoisted her up out of her only escape avenue. Still laughing, Inuyasha tossed her into the air, twisting his hold to turn her so that when she came back down he could catch her again under the arms... Facing him. His eyes were open now, glittering gold and showing the same excitement that filled his laughter.  
  
Inuyasha still shook, his laughter bubbling over even as he made a very obvious, conscious effort to get it under control. The laughter quieted to a more bearable level, but he finally shook his head and stopped trying to silence it completely. He yanked her forward, his mouth locking onto hers in a hard, quick kiss that was over just as quickly as her stunned brain registered it had happened.  
  
And then she was casually tossed over his shoulder as he turned away from the well and bounded off towards the village with dizzying speed.  
  
***  
  
Inuyasha burst through the door to Kaede's hut, 'still' shaking with laughter, but the sound had finally died down to a softer level. He held Kagome over his shoulder with an arm around her waist as he sauntered in, his eyes gleaming wickedly and wearing a smile so broad it was a wonder it didn't split his face in half.  
  
His companions backed away nervously from this completely unexpected turn of events. Shippo's mouth gaped open as he looked from Inuyasha's face to Kagome's, taking in her rather shell-shocked expression. "Wha-what did you do to Kagome?" he squeaked out, his little hands fisting in the fabric of his pants.  
  
Sango hadn't thought it was possible, but Inuyasha's grin grew even larger and he swept Kagome forward, setting her on her feet in front of him with exaggerated care. He took a quick step back as she balanced herself, folding his arms over his chest and very distinctly singing out, "Stay!"  
  
Kagome instantly dropped into the cross-legged, sitting position, shooting him a fierce glare as stunned gasps filled the air around her. Her mouth opened to let him have it with his own spell, but Inuyasha quickly pressed a clawed finger over her lips. Smirking down at her, he started that deep chuckling again, "Not unless you want me to make up for two years in the next ten minutes, Ka-go-me."  
  
Her brows lowered and she growled out, "Fuck you."  
  
"Kagome-chan!" Sango's eyes went huge and she involuntarily lifted a hand in front of her open mouth as Kagome's response only served to set the hanyou off again.  
  
Miroku cleared his throat, eyes wide as he stammered out, "A..a subduing spell? On Kagome-sama?!"  
  
"How did such a thing happen?" even Kaede's voice was full of confused shock.  
  
"I don't know," Kagome muttered irritably, refusing to meet Inuyasha's gaze as the hanyou sat down in front of her with a smug grin.  
  
"Who cares?!" Inuyasha flung his arms out in an expansive gesture.  
  
Kaede gave Inuyasha a dry look, "You don't want to know 'how' you can subdue Kagome?"  
  
He shrugged, "I know what to say and that it works. Why should I care why? I obviously did something right!"  
  
"Kagome?" Kaede shook her head at the hanyou and turned her attention to the blushing girl. "This is why you wanted to know if there was a way to break a subduing spell, isn't it?"  
  
Kagome hunched her shoulders, her attention focused on her lap as she quietly admitted, "Hai."  
  
Miroku was shaking his head, "Every time you fell... Inuyasha had said 'stay,' hadn't he? You just didn't want any of us to know you were being subdued as well."  
  
She looked more and more miserable, but nodded once and said in an even softer voice, "Hai."  
  
"HA!" Inuyasha rocked back on his heels with a delighted shout.  
  
"Sit!" she barked out at him.  
  
"Stay!"  
  
"Baka!"  
  
"Bitch!"  
  
"If you're 'quite' finished...?" Kaede interupted the pair before the fight could escalate further. Inuyasha's smile hadn't wavered and his voice was downright cheerful as he responded to Kagome. She didn't trust the outcome with Inuyasha looking so blatantly delighted and Kagome looking as though she'd do the hanyou serious damage if given the chance. The role reversal was unsettling and she wasn't sure how to handle this situation.  
  
Satisfied when Kagome averted her face and Inuyasha just snorted, propping his chin on upraised hands and looking for all the world like the happiest man alive, she cleared her throat and looked at the grumbling girl, "Kagome, I have some questions for you."  
  
She sucked in a breath, pondering for a moment whether or not to answer. After all it wasn't like they could force... Her eyes drifted to where Inuyasha smiled at her just a little too sweetly... 'Damn.'  
  
She finally released the indrawn breath in a defeated sigh and nodded, motioning for Kaede to continue and sneaking another glare at Inuyasha when the hanyou started to giggle softly.  
  
"How did this happen?" the old miko repeated her earlier question, her voice full of the authority given only by someone who would have nothing but the complete truth.  
  
Kagome winced, but she was determined to keep at least a part of her secret. No need for anyone to find out about the oh-so incriminating tattoo, and definitely no need for Inuyasha to find out she'd been drunk, "I told Sango about the night I had out with my friends..." She shot Sango an almost pleading look not to speak up before looking back at her lap again, "I don't really remember what happened. There was just this... this shrine and an old monk or a priest or something. I remember meeting him, but the next thing I knew I was back out in the street as though nothing had happened and the shrine was gone."  
  
Sighing, Kagome ran a hand through her hair, still refusing to look at Inuyasha, "I didn't think anything of it, but when I came through the well the first thing I heard was Inuyasha yelling. The first word I heard him yell was 'stay,' and all of a sudden my legs just went totally numb and down I went."  
  
When Inuyasha snorted, she was practically growling at him herself. He just winked at her, mouthing "stay," and she immediately subsided. Kagome fidgeted nervously for a moment to see if he intended to follow through on his threat before she relaxed. When he simply motioned for her to continue, brows raised suggestively, she frowned and spoke again.  
  
"I panicked," she shrugged. "I wasn't sure I was under a spell! I mean, I hoped I wasn't, but in case I was I had to ask and see how it could have happened. I don't have a rosary or anything so I wasn't sure how it could have been cast..."  
  
"You asked about tattooing," Kaede reminded, watching Inuyasha's ears perk up.  
  
"The spell's tattooed on? This just keeps getting better every fucking minute!" Inuyasha was instantly laughing again, trying desperately to smother it behind his hands and failing. He might have said he didn't care how it happened, but if Kagome was spilling her guts about it, he definitely wanted to hear it. And a tattoo would mean 'her' spell was permanent! Inuyasha could barely believe his good luck.  
  
"No! It's not-! I don't-" Kagome tried several times and then threw up her hands in frustration and told an all out lie, "I have no idea how the spell is in me. It just is!" she growled, folding her arms across her chest and fighting the urge to smack Inuyasha upside the head.  
  
Luckily, with the irritation in her voice and the fact that her blush had been present for nearly the entire conversation, no one thought to question it. Kaede simply sat back, looking thoughtful while Sango looked dizzy and Miroku had an almost pained look on his face. Shippo was shaking his head and sniffling, as though he was on the verge of tears.  
  
"Kagome, if you can't 'sit' Inuyasha then who's going to save me?" the kitsune gave her a watery look before burying his face in his little hands. "I'm gonna die!" he wailed out miserably.  
  
Kagome made a face and tried to reach out to the kit as best she could while her lower half was being held immobile from the spell, "It isn't that I CAN'T do it, Shippo, it's just-"  
  
"It's just that now *I* can do it back," Inuyasha cut her off to exclaim smugly, catching her wrist with one hand to keep her from reaching Shippo. "AND... Now you can't go back to your stupid time unless *I* say it's all right."  
  
The look Kagome gave him was coldly furious, "Inuyasha, that's not fair-!"  
  
He tilted his head to one side, arching one brow mockingly, "Oh really? I'd say this is as fair as it gets, Kagome. Now I don't have to worry about you using the fucking spell on me," he was grinning again, idly toying with the rosary. "I can say yours just as easy as you say mine."  
  
Kagome started getting to her feet, "Inuyasha-!"  
  
"Stay," he closed his eyes and sighed happily when she dropped right back down again. "Ah, sorry, Kagome, but I just couldn't help myself," his shoulders started shaking again when she started cursing beneath her breath, biting her lip in an effort to keep from screaming out a long line of "sits."  
  
'He's right, he has two years that he'd just love to make up for,' Kagome scowled at him before closing her eyes and reaching back to rub the small of her back. 'There is no possible way this day could get any worse for me.'  
  
Kagome's eyes went wide when she felt herself being lifted again, "What the-?! Hey! Inuyasha, what do you think you're you doing?!"  
  
Inuyasha grinned at the rest of the group, tossing her back over his shoulder and turning to go with a wave, "Kagome and I have a lot to talk about. I just came here to show you what was going on so you don't worry. We'll be back sometime later, so don't bother coming to look for us."  
  
"I refuse to talk to you until you stop that goddamn laughing!" she hissed at him as he was once again out the door and bounding off towards the woods, leaving behind a hut full of very shocked humans and a sobbing baby youkai. When she felt his chest and shoulders vibrate with his laughter again, she smacked him on the back with her palm, "I mean it, Inuyasha, I'll say it!"  
  
"You do and we both fall," he responded with a shrug that had her grabbing onto him in fear of a sudden tumble. "Ease up, Kagome, I'm not planning on dropping you," he reached up with his free hand and patted her leg in what she imagined was supposed to be a comforting gesture.  
  
"You just want to drag me off somewhere private before you break my spine," she grumbled, pouting as she watched the treetops pass by in a blur.  
  
"Did I say that?" Inuyasha questioned, his voice once again taunting and smug. "I have something completely different in mind. You and I are going to sit down and talk for once, and if you get mad and 'sit' me or try to run off, I'm using mine. Neither of us is going to go anywhere until we've cleared up some things that have been bothering me."  
  
"I hate you," she tugged on a lock of his hair in a pique.  
  
"Mmm, I'm sure you do," she could feel him smile when he leaned his head against her leg. "Probably just as much as I hate you."  
  
Kagome let out a grunt when Inuyasha dropped rather abruptly from the sky, coming to an easy stop in a small clearing of the forest. He'd purposefully picked a place far enough away from both the village and the well for his own peace of mind, despite his newfound control. This confrontation had been years in the making and he was taking no chances on getting interupted before he was through.  
  
Inuyasha slid Kagome down his chest, smirking at the sudden jump in her heartbeat, but wiping the expression off his face before he again held her beneath the arms and said, "Stay."  
  
Kagome sucked in a breath sharply, supported only by Inuyasha's hands as the hanyou eased her down to a seated position in the thick grass before he took up a similar position directly in front of her. Frustrated and suddenly feeling infinitely weary at the whole complicated mess, Kagome just propped her elbows on her knees and let her head drop into her hands. Shoulders slumped and looking utterly defeated, she spoke in a flat tone, "What do you want to know, Inuyasha?"  
  
He was quiet for a long moment, just watching her and letting the tension sweep out of him. Two long years of walking on eggshells around her, never knowing when she might take offense to something he said and drop him with the damn rosary so she could go running home. It would never happen again.  
  
Suddenly everything made sense.  
  
Kagome refusing to "sit" him no matter what he tried and instead taking 'his' usual avenue of responding. He tried to remember how many times she'd fallen only to say she tripped and fought the urge to chuckle. So now she knew what it was like to be rendered totally helpless with a casual word... He couldn't say he felt bad for her, on the contrary, now he felt better than he had in ages. Like he had absolutely nothing to worry about. He might still be under the rosary's spell, but dammit, if she let him have it, she was going to get it right back just as much!  
  
That brought his thoughts back to the one "sit" she actually had given him last week, the one that had been unexpected and, as he thought, totally undeserved. He'd just dropped her for what had to have been the tenth time that day without knowing it and she'd snapped. He did smile as he reached out and tucked a long lock of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingered a moment to feel the silky texture, "I'm surprised you didn't bite off your tongue."  
  
"It was a near thing," Kagome looked up at him, supporting her chin in her upturned hands and trying to ignore the way her heart pounded at his fingers gently grazing her skin.  
  
"Did you mean it?" Inuyasha inquired curiously, softly, searching her eyes for any hint of deception. "When you apologized, I mean. Did you really mean you were sorry or were you just doing that because you knew I would find out about this sooner or later and you were hoping I wouldn't go crazy with it?"  
  
She shook her head, her lips briefly quirking in a regretful smile, "I meant it."  
  
He folded his arms in the sleeves of his kimono and continued to watch her with that piercing gaze, "Why? I want to hear it from you."  
  
Kagome started to turn her face away, but Inuyasha was faster, catching her chin in his hand and turning her eyes back to his. He shook his head at her, not relinquishing his hold, "Talk to me like this, Kagome, or I'll use it again. I already told you, I have two years worth of 'sits' that you have against me and unless you want me to use them all now, you have to do things 'my' way."  
  
"Keh," she snorted, immediately shutting her mouth and blushing as she realized she'd just made a very Inuyasha sound in front of what had instantly become a very amused hanyou. He was chuckling again, low and comfortable this time, but no less amused than he'd been previously.  
  
He squeezed her chin lightly, eyes twinkling as he smirked, "Damn, Kagome, just how much *did* you pick up from being around me?"  
  
Her blush deepened and she grumbled, "All the bad things apparantly."  
  
"We'll get to that," Inuyasha promised in a tone that almost had her flinching again from the depth of promise in it. He nudged her chin up again to get her to open her eyes, waiting for her to do so before removing his hand and giving her an imperious nod, "Why are you sorry, Kagome?"  
  
She sighed, reaching out to lightly touch his knee, "Look, Inuyasha, I just... I never stopped to really think about what it had to be like. It was just something to make you leave me alone or... or get me home before you caught up."  
  
"Or whenever you decided you were annoyed," he made a face at her.  
  
Kagome nodded, "Or even then. I hadn't realized it might actually hurt."  
  
His brows rose when she rubbed the small of her back again, "Sore, are you?"  
  
"I suppose you know just what that feels like," she gave him a dry look when he smiled again. "I don't have any idea how you don't hate me. You don't even want to know some of the things that have gone through my mind about you lately."  
  
"Apparantly fucking myself is one of them," he bit his lip in an effort not to laugh out loud again at the very disgruntled look on her face. Every word out of her mouth was lifting his spirits, making him almost euphoric as the helpless feeling he'd always seemed to have around her melted away. She was honestly apologizing. He hadn't needed to bully her or threaten or anything! It just took a couple weeks of him unknowingly subduing her to realize what sorts of hell she put him through on purpose. They were suddenly on equal footing.  
  
'And you kissed her,' a little voice reminded him, drawing his eyes down to lips that were turned ever so slightly downward in a guilty frown. He sucked in a breath, eyes widening as he remembered, 'Holy fuck, I... I did, didn't I? I kissed Kagome! I wasn't even thinking about it, it just... it just seemed so... natural. She...felt good.'  
  
"I'm sorry about that too," she had blushed again, not noticing the sudden stillness that came over the hanyou as he was wrapped up in his own thoughts. "I was so angry at you for saying what you did, but I just couldn't bring myself to say...you know. I figured you were just being you." A thought struck her and she looked up at him suspiciously, "Were you actually trying to trick me into saying it?"  
  
Inuyasha blinked rapidly, clearing his throat as he tried valiantly to swallow his own blush from not only the reminder of his "plan," but the thoughts presently chasing around in his head, "Maybe..."  
  
Kagome stared at him in disbelief before shaking her head and letting out a tiny laugh, "God, you probably didn't know 'what' to think. Did I really say it that much before?"  
  
"Fucking constantly," he growled, grabbing the rosary and giving it a little tug.  
  
She arched one brow and eyed the necklace meaningfully, "Don't think I'm taking that off you, Inuyasha."  
  
He flashed her a grin, the laughter again dancing just below the surface and lighting his eyes, "Why not? Don't you know that I just might be more inclined to be lenient if you took it off for me? You ought to placate me now for all those times you slammed me into the ground."  
  
Kagome reached out and grabbed the necklace, twisting it once in her fist to put a stop to the false sugar-tone in his voice, "If I'm going to be fucking subdued with a word, then so are you."  
  
Inuyasha burst out laughing again, pressing his hands gingerly to his chest as he managed to get out, "I think...I'm breaking... my...own... ribs!!"  
  
"Serves you right," she stuck her tongue out and started to rise.  
  
"Stay."  
  
Right back down again.  
  
"What the hell?! I didn't 'do' anything!" Kagome tried to lunge at him, but Inuyasha pressed a hand to her chest and gave her a little shove. Kagome gave a shriek of surprise and toppled back, her legs still crossed, but the rest of her lying flat on the ground.  
  
Inuyasha leaned over her with a smirk, one brow arching in an obvious taunt, "You know, now I think I understand why you said it so often."  
  
"Sit!" her brows lowered at his amusement.  
  
Not having taken Inuyasha's position into account at the time, Kagome was unprepared for the wind getting knocked out of her when the hanyou came crashing down half on and half off her. Kagome was quite literally frozen in place, not just from him slamming into her, but for the fact that Inuyasha's face was hidden at her throat, his chest flattening hers, and one of his legs between her own. And from the way his chest was shaking, he was still laughing his head off at her expense.  
  
"This isn't funny, Inuyasha!" she ground out, trying to ignore the shock of contact and what exactly it was doing to her insides. Feeling him smile against her neck, her eyes went wide and she tried to work her hands under his shoulders, "Get the hell off me!"  
  
"Can't," he shrugged, his voice thick with supressed amusement. "You should know that, it's what you used to run away all the time. I'm stuck here until it wears off."  
  
"What if someone sees us like this? They'll think we... Ah, that you and me..." she hissed at him, shoving at his shoulders a little desperately when she couldn't bring herself to complete that thought out loud. "Dammit-"  
  
"You really shouldn't swear so much, Kagome," Inuyasha lifted his head and grinned down at her.  
  
Her entire body went so stiff Inuyasha was sure she would crack her own spine any second. She was dying to scream at him, he knew it, could practically taste it radiating from her. But Kagome took several deep, shaking breaths and very quietly said, "You really are a sonofabitch, you know that? Who do you think I learned it all from, hn?"  
  
Inuyasha's lips compressed in a thin line and the laughter won out again as he choked out, "I had no idea I was such a great teacher."  
  
Kagome gave up, smacking him upside the head with a sour look, "This *isn't* funny! And stop enjoying it, you baka!"  
  
"I don't know what it is to you, but this is damn hilarious for me!" he lifted his torso, bracing his weight on his forearms and patiently waited for the feeling to return to his own legs. He didn't trust Kagome to not attempt to do him some damage with as much as he was teasing her. "Hell, Kagome, do you have any idea how great I feel right now?"  
  
She sighed, rolling her eyes and nodding before admitting hesitantly, "Yeah, I... I think I do."  
  
"Really? Tell me," he propped his elbows on the ground and again rested his chin in his hands and looked down at her curiously.  
  
Kagome searched his eyes, her own narrowed as she looked for something she apparantly didn't see, because she sighed and forced her tense muscles to relax, "Well... Think about this from my perspective. Before now, that is. I mean, for two years all I had to do was say one word and you went down. 'The great Inuyasha.' It..." she blushed and looked away from his eyes. "It felt good to..."  
  
"Have that kind of control?" he arched one brow, laughing softly when she blushed again. 'The great Inuyasha, hn? Is that how she thinks of me?'  
  
"I'm not exactly the strongest person that ever lived," she muttered, embarrassed. "And you're... well you're you! You already know how powerful you are."  
  
Inuyasha shook his head and sighed, reaching out to trace her cheek with one claw, "I still would have protected you, Kagome."  
  
Stunned, Kagome's eyes went wide as she froze, transfixed at the unexpected and completely uncharacteristic action, "I-Inuyasha?"  
  
He flashed her a cocky grin, knowing now that she was too surprised and probably confused to notice that the spells had worn off. That meant he was going to stay right where he was, "Maybe not at first, but don't you trust me now? Be honest," he growled lightly, a stern warning, when she opened her mouth.  
  
She snapped it shut again, frowning at him for a moment before she huffed in irritation and grudgingly admitted, "I always have."  
  
Inuyasha nodded, satisfied and relaxing even more, but...he wanted Kagome to relax too, and she was having some trouble with him laying on top of her. Regretfully, he pushed himself up, sitting calmly as he tried to read the emotions flashing in her dark eyes. Finally, he just shrugged and reached out a hand to help her sit up as well, "How about we come to some kind of an agreement about this whole thing."  
  
'That's it, the world is turning upside down,' Kagome just stared at Inuyasha blankly. 'Inuyasha is being calm and reasonable! Ah hell, of course he is. He's back at the advantage and loving every minute of it.'  
  
"I'll try not to say yours if you promise to do the same," he offered, nodding proudly to himself even as he snagged her arm and dragged her possessively under the curve of his shoulder. Holding her there with an arm wrapped around her shoulders, he continued with his terms, "And absolutely NO sneaking off to your time or else I'll definitely say it. As many times as I have to until you stop." He halted her quickly forming protest with a grunt and an upraised hand, "You want to go back, you have to convince me first. AND I go with you. No exceptions."  
  
"But-" she started to protest.  
  
"That part isn't open for discussion," Inuyasha shook his head, his arm tightening around her shoulders. "I'm not going to lie and say I'm not happy about what happened 'this' time you went alone, but what if it had been something else? Something that wanted to hurt you?" He sighed, absently squeezing her shoulder at the dark imaginings trying to make their way into his thoughts, "No. I go too, or you don't go at all. End of discussion."  
  
Kagome tried to shrug off his arm, but he held tight, growling at her when she lifted her hands to try to shove it away. She finally gave up, folding her arms over her chest and voicing her previous observation, "You're loving this, don't deny it."  
  
"I won't," he admitted with a heart-stopping grin that had her staring up at him as though she'd never seen him before. "Now I have a much better way to keep you close; where you belong. Whether you like it or not, that spell means you're bound to me. Just like I've been bound to you. I finally don't have to feel so fucking helpless around you."  
  
Kagome's brows drew down in confusion, "Helpless? You? You have to be kidding..."  
  
"Keh, how the hell do you feel knowing I can open my mouth and send 'you' to the ground with a word, hn? It's serious enough that you haven't tried to run off even once yet and 'that' has to be some kind of damn record with the two of us." He chuckled when she bit her lip and looked away with yet another blush that had his mind momentarily wandering. He shook off the distraction with a bit of a rueful chuckle and chastized his overactive imagination, 'Okay, Inuyasha now is not exactly the best time for these kind of thoughts.'  
  
"Now imagine what it would be like if you didn't have 'sit' to use against me, but I still had st- ah, I still had mine," he suggested, quickly biting off the end of the word that would have sent her to the ground again. 'Wow, that "is" kinda hard...' he frowned briefly at the panic on her face before it relaxed into a thoughtful expression to show she was obediently making the effort to see things his way.  
  
Her eyes widened slowly and she shot a quick look up to his expectant gaze, "Oh...."  
  
"Exactly," the smile he gave her this time had her sucking in a breath sharply. Warm and genuine and...and all for her. "And," he reached up and tapped her forehead once, "now you 'have' to stay."  
  
Kagome swore when she slumped into him, barely catching herself with her hands on his thighs with Inuyasha unsuccessfully trying to smother his laughter even as he patted her back, "Sorry! Sorry! That slips out a lot easier than I thought!"  
  
"No kidding," she growled, but after a tense moment, just sighed and gave up without responding in kind. Inuyasha covered his smile by hiding her face against his chest, things were definitely looking up for him.  
  
'I had no idea it meant that much to him for me to be here,' Kagome's mouth opened, but she closed it again when she couldn't think of what to say aloud. 'Is he really this excited just because he can do the same thing to me that I do to him?'  
  
Inuyasha dragged her up into his lap, hoping that her lack of resistance wasn't just due to the subduing spell. He tucked her head beneath his chin, closing his eyes and letting a feeling of peace go through him. He was back in control... For the first time in two years, and it was restoring his confidence and pride as nothing else could have done. Not just that, but Kagome was bound to him now. He'd find out exactly how eventually, but for now it was enough that some higher power had obviously decided to show her what he had known from the first time he'd protected her.  
  
Inuyasha smiled gently, wrapping both arms around her and pressing her into him until he could feel her heart beating strongly against his chest. He sighed, reaching up to stroke a hand through her hair, knowing he was probably shocking her out of her wits with as much as he was touching her.  
  
'That's too fucking bad, she'll just have to get used to it,' he thought, reveling in the way she was slowly giving in, leaning back into his embrace. His chest rumbled again with soft laughter, but this time, Kagome just relaxed into him even further. When her arms tenatively circled his waist, his smile widened.  
  
Kagome belonged to him.  
  
And soon enough, she'd know it too. 


	8. Enough to make a grown girl cry....

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and co belong to Rumiko Takahashi..  
  
A/N: I know, I know, that last chapter was nauseating, but hey, that's what flowed from the brain to the board. Geck...I think I gave myself a couple cavaties. o.O Anyhow, there are still some issue to be ironed out of course, such as...When will Inuyasha find out about the tattoo? Who the heck was the old monk? And why did he tattoo Kagome with a subduing spell for Inuyasha in the first place? In time, in time I promise! ^_~  
  
In the meantime, doomo arigatoo gozaimashita to all my reviewers. I'm kinda shocked to see how many people like the story, and I especially love having reviews from the authors I love reading. You guys are all wonderful. Most specifically, thanks to my reviewers who've been giving me such great motivation and making me giggle my guts out from day one like ukyou, nekomon and chris-san! ^_^  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Enough to make a grown woman cry.....  
  
  
  
One week, a few setbacks, and two aching backs later...  
  
Kagome peeked around in the darkness, squinting to see into the darker shadows. The more time she spent here in the past, the better it seemed her senses were becoming. Sometimes lately, she was a bit alarmed at how acute they were getting, but then again, when you're forced to use only your senses to survive and develop a power you never knew you had, it was no wonder they would get rather intense.  
  
It was just after midnight and she had snuck out after making sure Inuyasha was asleep in the corner of Kaede's hut. She had tried to sneak out to the well all week without success, and Inuyasha was having so much fun with that stupid subduing spell that he would set little traps for her around it and just wait. Like that time he'd pretended he was going off to bathe only to be waiting in a tree... It was frustrating to say the least. He always let her get SO close...!  
  
That had to have been the worst part about the entire situation. Inuyasha's attitude where she was concerned had undergone a dramatic transformation. He was almost disgustingly confident, barely yelling at her or even arguing anymore. Instead he would just stand proudly, arms folded over his chest and head cocked to one side with a borderline patronizing smile on his face. When she stopped for air or ran herself out of things to say, he would pat her on the head and walk away with an arrogant swagger and most often with his shoulders shaking in outright laughter.  
  
This time just HAD to be different. It was the middle of the night, for crying out loud, and she'd left him asleep, she was sure of it! She'd even left her pack at Kaede's so she could move faster through the eerily silent forest.  
  
Taking a deep breath to steel herself, she slid out into the grove and walked calmly for the gateway that would take her back to her time. Her steps slowed as she neared it, and against her will, her head turned back in the direction of the village. Eyes softening, she hesistated, 'Inuyasha will definitely be angry if I do go... This'll be the "sneaking off" that he said I-' She shook her head violently to clear that thought, growling out softly, "Damn him! I will not feel guilty about going home!"  
  
Kagome had barely turned back to the well when an unmistakable voice came from right behind her, "Stay."  
  
"Ite!" she dropped instantly, mouth tightening in annoyance as she stubbornly folded her arms over her bosom. This was really too much...  
  
Inuyasha slid around in front of her and crouched down before saying in that calm voice he'd seemed to acquire in the past week that never failed to infuriate her, "I said no, Kagome."  
  
"You were supposed to be asleep," she bit out, glaring at him.  
  
"So were you," he snorted, scooping her up as he stood and yet again tossing her over his shoulder with his arm around her waist to hold her still. "Hell, Kagome, it's too late to be messing around like this. And I specifically said no sneaking off, didn't I?"  
  
She shot the well as longing look as the distance between it and her lengthened, "Inuyasha, I have to go to school sometimes."  
  
"No."  
  
"Why not? What about my family? And supplies?" Kagome tried to turn enough to look back at him, but the arm around her waist tightened to prevent that. Sighing, she settled for propping her elbows on his back and supporting her chin in her palms. "I have to go home!"  
  
"You are home," he shrugged as though that was the simplest answer in the world. "You wouldn't have fallen through the well in the first place if you were supposed to stay in your time. You're supposed to be here."  
  
"Well...then how do you explain yourself getting into the future?" she bit down on her lower lip as a glimmer of doubt went through her. She'd wondered the same thing more than once, but there was no way she'd admit that to him. "Maybe you're supposed to be there."  
  
Inuyasha shook his head, "Nope, I can only go through because you don't have the sense to st- I mean, to keep yourself on the right side of the well. I have to be able to go through to bring you home. Why do you think I'm the only other one who can?"  
  
"You've obviously thought this through," she freed one of her hands to reach up and tweak his ear, smiling affectionately when it twitched and flattened down.  
  
"You kidding?" he turned his head slightly towards her even as he kept himself alert for any possible dangers. "I've been building this up for months, you just never sat still long enough to fucking listen."  
  
Kagome sighed, her hand moving down to absently stroke his hair, "Inuyasha, my mom's probably worried about me. I have to go back at least for a little while now and then."  
  
She could practically feel him scowl, but he finally let out a heavy sigh and nodded once, "All right. I'll take you home tomorrow morning but we aren't staying long. Just enough to reassure your mother."  
  
Kagome smiled in relief, her body relaxing, "Arigatoo, Inuyasha."  
  
"Keh," he gave her waist another squeeze. "Only if you'll sleep the rest of the night and stop trying to sneak off."  
  
"Deal."  
  
Inuyasha grinned smugly, 'You're one step closer, Kagome.'  
  
**  
  
Kagome fought the urge to giggle as she left her school grounds later the next afternoon. She had pouted and pleaded with Inuyasha to let her go to school for her make-up exams and to get her work load for the next month or so. Having absolutely no idea when she'd be able to convince the stubborn hanyou to bring her back again, she wanted to be prepared. She had to at least keep up with the rest of her class for when she did actually get back enough to take her tests so she didn't make a complete fool of herself. If things kept up like this, her school pack was going to start looking as ridiculous as that massive pack she loaded with supplies for her little expeditions into Sengoku Jidai.  
  
"Kagome!" several high-pitched voices rang out across the school yard, almost making her cringe. Inuyasha had told her that he wanted her to come straight home since he couldn't go with her to her 'school.' He would not appreciate her getting held up by her match-making friends. 'Wait a sec, why the hell am I so worried about what he thinks all of a sudden?' she paused, her brows lowering thoughtfully. Not really liking the answer that immediately came to mind as it had nothing to do with his newfound control over her, she purposefully turned her attention to the three girls rushing across the grounds towards her.  
  
"Wow, you must have been really sick this time! You were out a lot longer than you've been before," the first girl to reach her looked her up and down critically. "You do look a little pale still..."  
  
Kagome gave them a weak smile, her bravado for ignoring Inuyasha wearing thin even as her feet turned her in the direction of home, "I... I actually am not feeling very well still. I need to get home."  
  
"Aww, we were hoping you'd finally have a chance to come out with us again!" another sighed regretfully.  
  
"Or with Hojo-kun," they all giggled brightly.  
  
Kagome sent a rather desperate look heavenward, praying for divine intervention. Or more patience. She'd be happy to get either one.  
  
"We didn't make your illness worse, did we?" the first girl stopped when she had that sudden flash of thought. "I mean, we didn't mean any harm..."  
  
"Yeah," the second girl murmured, reaching out to grab Kagome's sleeve. "We just thought you could use a little loosening up, ya know?"  
  
"We didn't think about what alcohol might-"  
  
"You didn't tell me you got drunk, Kagome."  
  
Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the irritated growl slightly behind and to her left, whirling around with open-mouthed amazement to see Souta grinning up at her brightly. But what made her pulse really leap was the fact that his hand was attached to a blue-jean clad leg, and that leg happened to be attached to one very pissed off looking hanyou. Somehow he'd been convinced to swap out his fire-rat kimono for a pair of blue jeans that were a size or two too large and a plain gray t-shirt (her mother's doing, no doubt). He'd had his hair pulled back in a simple tie and a dark ball-cap hiding his ears from view. He was even wearing sneakers that couldn't have been comfortable for someone so unused to footwear.  
  
"Eh...Inu..Inuyasha?" she put a hand to her heart in a futile effort to stop its pouding as her friends immediately jumped behind her to peer out at the impossibly gorgeous man glaring daggers at their best friend. "Wha-what are you doing here?"  
  
"I brought him," Souta announced proudly. "He was pacing and driving Mama nuts, so she told me to walk him up to get you."  
  
"Kagome, who is that?" her friends whispered loudly, all tugging at her at once for more information. "Is this him? That guy who's-"  
  
"Ah-" she cut them off in a hurry, remembering just what she had told her friends about who they thought was her on-again off-again boyfriend. "Ah, this is Inuyasha. He's-"  
  
"Here to take Kagome home," he finished for her, moving away from Souta to reach out and catch her wrist in gentle hold that was completely at odds with the anger simmering in his golden eyes. "We're leaving."  
  
Kagome winced. She was getting used to that tone, that "we're going to have a long talk when I get you alone" tone that she had heard far too often now. Glancing back at her friends, she gave them a weak wave, "I'll see you later, okay?"  
  
She heard them call out behind her, "We hope we didn't get you in trouble with your boyfriend, Kagome-chan!"  
  
She did her best to look more reassuring, "No, nothing like that. We'll...ah, we'll talk later. Don't worry."  
  
They didn't look convinced, but she was more concerned with the hanyou now barking at Souta to start walking at the brisk pace he'd set. Souta was grinning like an idiot as he gave her a sideways glance that said quite obviously that he thought she was going to catch hell from his favorite hero. She scowled at him, trying to look threatening with Inuyasha looking ten times more fierce than she ever could. Souta understandably looked less than impressed with her look, running on ahead with a laugh.  
  
"Inuyasha-" she tried softly.  
  
His squeezed her wrist, "We're going home as soon as we get back and you're going to tell me all of it, Kagome. I want to know why you lied about that."  
  
"I didn't lie!" she protested in a low hiss.  
  
"You kept it from me on purpose," he shot her a glare.  
  
"Because I knew you'd overreact like this," Kagome shook her head.  
  
"This is NOT overreating!" he shouted, drawing numerous stares in their direction from the crowded streets and a smothered giggle from her eavesdropping little brother.  
  
Kagome turned dark crimson, trying desperately to quiet him, "Can't we wait to talk about this?! Please?"  
  
His reponse was to pull her along faster, followed by a growled, "Keh!"  
  
"They didn't mean any harm, Inuyasha," she still fought to cool down the blush warming her cheeks.  
  
"I thought you wanted to talk about this later," he shot her a frown, his eyes still gleaming with banked anger, but he'd pulled it back under control.  
  
Kagome ground her teeth together in frustration and tried her best to change the subject, "Where'd you get those clothes?"  
  
He snorted, not releasing her wrist as he absently answered, "You mother said I'd be too conspicuous in my regular clothes. She loaned me some of your grandfather's so Souta could bring me here to get you. They're fucking uncomfortable as all hell."  
  
"I said I'd be right home," she mumbled sourly.  
  
"That monk is in 'this' time, Kagome, I'm not taking any chances," Inuyasha sighed at her stubbornness, pulling her closer protectively when the crowds thinned out enough for his comfort. "What if it really was supposed to be worse than a subduing spell and it just got messed up somehow, hn? Or what if the spell had been activated by someone else? I don't want you getting hurt."  
  
Now why did he have to go and say something like that when she was trying to be mad at him? Kagome's arm slid around his waist distractedly as she tried not to notice how cute he looked in jeans and a t-shirt. She completely missed the surprised, yet pleased look that crossed the hanyou's face as his arms tensed as slid around her shoulders to tuck her back under his arm.  
  
"Aw, don't make up yet!" Souta's annoyed shout snapped Kagome's attention back to the present. "You're supposed to be in trouble with Inuyasha-nii-chan!" he made a face and pointed at his sister.  
  
"I am so going to kill you, you little brat," Kagome let go of Inuyasha and chased out after her little brother as he gave a shriek of fear and scurried off down the sidewalk to the shrine steps a short distance away.  
  
Inuyasha sighed and shook his head.  
  
Kagome's world was so damn confusing.  
  
**  
  
"Hurray, you're back!" Shippo cheered when Kagome climbed over the rim of the well with Inuyasha close behind. "Did you bring my chocolate?"  
  
"You didn't distract him, Shippo-chan," she lifted the little kitsune when he held out his arms to be picked up, ruffling his hair. "Wasn't that our deal?"  
  
"Oi, is it my fault that he wasn't with Kaeda-baba anymore?" he shrugged eloquently and gave her his cute look. "Aren't I cute enough for a treat?" he wiggled his tail, knowing she couldn't resist that.  
  
"And you play it up so badly," she giggled, shaking her head. "We'll see."  
  
He grinned and leaned around the girl to make a face at Inuyasha, "See? Kagome loves me best!"  
  
Kagome blushed, clearing her throat and yanking the kit back against her stomach, "Be nice, Shippo."  
  
Shippo wrinkled his nose, "You're no fun since he got a spell too."  
  
Now it was Inuyasha chuckling softly, feeling much better with how easy it had been to get Kagome back through the well this time. She'd even promised to tell him about the "drunk" comment her friend had tossed out before she noticed he and her brother were waiting. It might have had something to do with how pale she'd gone when Souta yelled out that if she killed him he would tell their mother she'd gotten drunk with her friends.  
  
He gave Kagome a nudge to get her started, "Oi, Kagome, this damn thing isn't exactly getting lighter."  
  
She nodded and started off, glancing back at him with a speculative glance. 'Easier to get it over with,' she decided with a frown. She gave him a warning frown and started with, "You have to promise not to get mad at Sango-chan, Inuyasha."  
  
"She knew?" his brows rose sharply.  
  
"I made her promise not to tell anyone that part," Kagome shrugged. "She wanted me to, but I... Well, I didn't really want you to know."  
  
"Why?" he lengthened his stride enough so that he was walking beside her and could get a look at her face. "You should have told me."  
  
She frowned and looked sideways at him, "I knew you'd be angry and then you'd be less inclined than normal to let me go home."  
  
Shippo gave her hair a little tug to get her attention, "Why would Inuyasha be angry at you this time, Kagome?"  
  
"I, ah, didn't tell him that the night I somehow got the subduing spell cast on me that I was just a little bit drunk," Kagome stammered a bit nervously, well aware of Inuyasha's intent stare on her face.  
  
Shippo's eyes widened, "Drunk? You?"  
  
"They sorta slipped it into my drinks," she tucked her hair behind her ear and looked under her lashes at Inuyasha. His expression was slowly darkening and she braced herself for the lecture she knew was coming.  
  
"Fuck, bitch, don't you have any sense?" Inuyasha yelled out, his steps slowing as she stubbornly kept walking. "Do you have any idea of the kind of things that could have happened to you? Of what did happen? That's why you don't remember anything, isn't it?"  
  
She sighed, "Hai, that's why everything's really hazy. But nothing...well, nothing really bad happened, I guess."  
  
Shippo grunted, "I don't want to see what you call bad, Kagome. You don't 'sit' him anywhere near enough anymore."  
  
Inuyasha growled, sending Shippo burrowing down against Kagome's chest with a frightened sqeak. Satisfied that the kit had been properly chastened, he jumped in front of Kagome and waited for her to stop and look up at him. When her eyes met his, he arched one brow in demanding inquiry, "Kagome, is there anything else that happened that night?"  
  
Kagome bit her lower lip, fighting the urge to rub her hip, "No." 


	9. The power of rage....

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi...  
  
A/N: Heh heh, ah, my conflicts are working.... I'm so loving all my reviews, especially since a lot of people have actually picked up the balance problem with the power shift. Don't freak out on me, like I said, it's all going somewhere. It IS a drama after, it's not ALL going to be squishy and fun, but everything will smooth out and make sense. Promise! You'll see... ^_~  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Never underestimate the power of pure rage....  
  
  
  
"Kagome! Kagome, are you okay? Please wake up, Kagome!" Shippo was tugging at the fallen girl frantically, his eyes going from Kagome's still form to the vicious battle presently going on between Inuyasha and the newest youkai in search of more Shikon shards. It was a humanoid, reptilian youkai that had appeared seemingly out of nowhere and attacked, sensing the shards Kagome was carrying. When she had yelled out to Inuyasha that the youkai had a shard in it's chest, the youkai had flung the hanyou aside and come after her.  
  
It had wrapped it's serpantine tail around her throat and lifted her off the ground, intent on leaping off with her, but Inuyasha was faster. Pressing his own attack, he kept the youkai right where he was and gave both Miroku and Sango a chance to attack as well. In his haste to avoid the assault that come on suddenly from three sides, the youkai had flung Kagome away violently and sent her slamming into the rough ground. Kagome had shuddered once and then gone still, momentarily distracting her friends before they renewed their assault even more forcefully than before. Shippo made his way hastily to her side while Inuyasha screamed his anger at the now struggling creature.  
  
*  
  
Kagome was having a day that was fast becoming the worst in her current lifespan.  
  
She'd awakened earlier than everyone else to a shooting pain in her hip that had rocked through her so intensely it had doubled her up in her sleeping bag, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. Had Shippo not rolled to the side sometime during the long night, she just may have smashed the poor kitsune with the instinctive motion.  
  
The pain had taken what felt like a lifetime to fade away, leaving behind a searing heat that throbbed and ached with breath-taking strength. Gasping and trembling she had lain still, her eyes wide as fear and panic pounded through her head, each feeling vying for supremacy. It had taken long moments for her to regain control of herself, deep gulping breaths breaking the stillness of the night until she quieted through sheer force of will. She hadn't wanted to wake Inuyasha and bring on questions she couldn't give the answers to.  
  
When she'd made her way to the nearby stream to wash her face, she'd come to find out her nose had been bleeding. Now THAT had most certainly worried her, especially when all the pain had been down at her hip.  
  
Confused, she tugged aside her jeans and looked down at it, dreading what she might see. Disturbingly, the tattoo was glowing very faintly, pulsing an angry red in time with her racing heart. Yanking her jeans back into place, she looked around to make sure no one had seen that before splashing her face with the cold water to wipe away the rest of the blood.  
  
The throbbing hadn't gone away, yet gratefully, the pain had died down into steady heat. But the morning's events had left her drained and pale, obvious enough to draw notice from her companions. It was bad enough that even Inuyasha stopped lecturing her about being drunk and instead been asking if she was all right. She was still annoyed with him herself though and just waved him off with a "fine." Shippo had latched onto her as soon as he woke up and saw her pale face, hissing at anyone and everyone who came close.  
  
She'd barely noticed, instead focused on the bizarre tingling feeling that filled her when they started off for the day. It felt like her entire body had fallen asleep without her mind and she was still trying to wake it up.  
  
That distraction had to have been what kept her from sensing the youkai and the shard he was carrying until it was too late for her to do more than walk right into his assault.  
  
It had to have been due to everything she had gone through this month, but the only thing she felt when she was lifted and thrown was anger. Nothing like the anger she'd felt in the past either. This anger was so intense that it burned through her in waves, making her heart pound so loudly that she could barely hear Shippo calling out to her or even the battle a short distance away. This feeling was something primal, deep and violent as a single thought pulsed over and over through her mind, body, and soul.  
  
Fight.  
  
Shippo sucked in a hopeful breath when Kagome's hand curled into a fist and a shudder wracked her frame. He leaned forward and grabbed her hand, "Kagome? Get up! Please, get up and be okay!"  
  
Kagome's eyes opened a bare slit as she gathered her strength and pushed herself up to her knees. She covered her mouth with one hand when a spasming cough went through her from head to toe, scowling at the blood that covered her hand when she pulled it away from her mouth.  
  
*It's inside you, Kagome, just let it out.*  
  
Kagome frowned, her eyes glassy as she looked for the source of that voice. The unexpected sound hadn't even startled her... It was warm and soothing, undeniable in its authority but subtle at the same time as it filled her.  
  
*You can feel it, can't you? The power running through you...*  
  
Her eyes drifted over to Inuyasha as she rose slowly to her feet, feeling stragely disconnected from everything happening around her. Her own heartbeat thundered much too loudly in her ears for any other sounds to intrude into her distracted thoughts as she watched the youkai crash his tail into the hanyou. Inuyasha was slammed sharply to the ground with a sickening crack even as the youkai turned his focus on Sango and Miroku. The anger she'd lost in her confusion at the voice's presence returned in a dizzying rush and Kagome felt ever muscle tense. Her eyes were rivetted to where Inuyasha was struggling to get to his feet, his eyes blazing with rage and parts of his kimono darkening from unseen injuries.  
  
*Let your soul break free.*  
  
A clawed hand seized her neck from behind just as a second youkai presence with a shard registered in the red haze of her thoughts. She felt the vibrations of its laughter as she was turned in the air to face a youkai nearly identical to the one fighting with her friends. His fanged mouth moved around an arrogant smirk, but the blood rushing through her made it impossible for her to make out what the actual words were. Kagome just stared at him blankly, feeling the hum and tingle coursing through her as his claws tightened, digging into her flesh and drawing blood.  
  
Something deep inside cracked...  
  
And shattered.  
  
"You picked the wrong bitch to fuck with today, youkai," Kagome wouldn't have recognized the voice coming from her own throat in a million years.  
  
*  
  
The unexpected sound cut through the fight, bringing it to a bemused halt. A creaking noise, like a great tree about to snap in a storm, following closely by a thick tearing. Overlapping the grotesque sound almost instantly, an inhuman scream of terrified pain had all eyes snapping towards the source with a sense of unreal disbelief. Inuyasha gaped, stumbling back instinctively as he watched the second youkai crashing to the ground. That in itself wasn't overly remarkable.  
  
Kagome tossing aside the youkai's arms, ripped violently from their sockets, was.  
  
The ground at her feet crackled with energy, ripples curling around her like waves on a pond before arching around her in pink and scarlet flashes. Before their stunned eyes, she straightened her spine, rotating her head in a slow circle to release the tension along her neck. That done, she walked forward with smooth, deliberate steps and as calmly as though it were an everyday occurance, she put her fist through his face. Literally.  
  
The youkai's body crumbled into dust and Kagome bent down, taking the shard between her thumb and forefinger before turning to face the other youkai. Her eyes were narrowed, glowing scarlet and flashing in time with that violent aura rippling around her. Fisting her hand around the purified shard, her eyes narrowed sharply and a gray tint spread across the skin beneath her eyes. Her lip curled back off her teeth in a mocking snarl, "Now you."  
  
This time she simply held up her hand, the energy pulling from her aura to collect around her hand before blasting across the grove, tearing up the ground as it went. Her friends instinctively leapt out of the way as the energy slammed into the youkai, enveloping and consuming him as he screamed in helpless rage and pain. But that too was quickly choked off to leave only the sound of wind curling through the trees.  
  
When the energy had died down to uneasy silence, Kagome walked through the furrows her energy had created and picked up that shard as well before slipping both of them into the vial necklace with a pink flash and a soft clink.  
  
Her expression relaxed out of the feral rage, but her eyes still gleamed crimson as she turned to look at Inuyasha's astounded expression, his hands lax at his sides and his mouth working soundlessly. An amused smile played across her lips as she walked up to him, that smile widening when he took an uncertain step back away from her.  
  
"Inuyasha," Kagome's voice had returned to almost normal...  
  
"Ka-Kagome?" he leaned away from her, casting desperate looks to the equally stunned Sango and Miroku.  
  
Without warning, her hand tangled in the front of his haori, lifting him effortlessly until his feet barely touched the ground. His eyes were wider than she'd ever seen, a strangled sound working its way from his throat as Miroku and Sango took up uncertain battle stances behind her. She pulled his face close to hers and whispered gently, "I've had a bad month, Inuyasha."  
  
Inuyasha swallowed nervously, ears flattening as his hand closed over her wrist, "I..."  
  
She flashed him a smirk disturbingly similar to his own, eyes filled with promise as she cut him off, "If you make my next one worse, I'll break you in half."  
  
Kagome yanked him downwards, slamming him face first into the ground at her feet. Satisfied, she walked over him, planting her foot between his shoulder blades and putting her weight into it before she stepped off him.  
  
She hadn't taken more than two steps, however, when the energy around her abruptly retracted. Kagome wavered on her feet for a moment, the red fading from her eyes and returning them to that glassy blue stare a moment before her legs collapsed, crumpling the girl to the ground in a dead faint.  
  
Inuyasha picked himself up, his face pale and eyes enormous as he looked at her in concern, "Wha-what the *FUCK* was that!?"  
  
***  
  
I knew you weren't to young to use your powers.  
  
'Who ARE you?'  
  
In time, Kagome. For now, you need only to know that I will not hurt you.  
  
'Why should I believe you? Was that me? How did I do that?'  
  
Of course that was you! You said once yourself that the only way you knew how to swear was watching Inuyasha. Don't you think with as much as you watch him fight that you learned some of that too?  
  
'That's ridiculous. I don't have the strength for that kind of thing.'  
  
You carried the Shikon-no-Tama inside you for fifteen years while you lived... For centuries within your soul. How can you doubt that the power is there? You're strong enough to *not* absorb that jewel and to purify it no matter how saturated with evil it becomes. Don't you have any faith in yourself at all?  
  
.....  
  
I see.  
  
'What's that supposed to mean?'  
  
That you have a lot of growing up to do, Kagome.  
  
***  
  
"Dammit, Kagome, wake up!" Inuyasha shook her gently, scooping a handful of water from the little creek at his side and pouring it over her face.  
  
Kagome's eyes snapped open and she tried to arch away from the water, sputtering in surprise, "Cold!"  
  
Inuyasha let out a sigh of relief, dragging her up against his chest and burying his face in her hair. His arms tightened around her and he closed his eyes, turning her to tuck her head beneath his chin, "You scared us back there, bitch."  
  
Kagome blinked rapidly, trying to clear the stubborn fog in her head, "Wow...what the hell was that?"  
  
Shippo hopped onto Inuyasha's head, leaning down until he could pet Kagome's head comfortingly, "It was scary, Kagome! Your eyes glowed all red, and you killed those two youkai... By yourself."  
  
Kagome pulled out of Inuyasha's embrace enough to look up at Shippo's worried face, "I did?"  
  
"It was quite alarming, Kagome-sama," Miroku said quietly, drawing her gaze to where he and Sango sat close at her right, watching her in concern.  
  
"What happened to you?" Sango leaned in, laying a hand on her back as her eyes searched the younger girl's face.  
  
Kagome shook her head, raising on hand to her head as her gaze turned inward, "Actually, I don't... I don't really know. There was a voice in my head. Telling me to fight. Telling me I could..."  
  
Inuyasha growled in frustration, his brows lowering, "I knew it. It's that goddamn spell!"  
  
Kagome reached up, frowning as she set a comforting hand on his tense shoulder, "No... No, I think this is something else."  
  
He didn't look convinced as he half carried her to a soft spot on the bank, taking the cloth Shippo passed him. He was growling under his breath as he dipped it in the water and lifted it to her brow, the sound severely at odds with the lightness of his touch, "It's too coincidental that this happened now, Kagome. What the hell else could it be?"  
  
A wry smile touched her mouth as she recalled what the voice had told her just before she'd jolted awake, "Maybe I'm just growing up."  
  
Inuyasha snorted, but he gave her a little smile that echoed the relief in his amber eyes, "Humans don't grow up, they just get taller."  
  
Kagome rolled her eyes and muttered, "That sounds more like a hanyou to me."  
  
Miroku shared a long look with Sango, shaking his head as he sent Inuyasha a speaking glare. With a deep sigh, he rose to his feet and grabbed Shippo by the tail as he walked past the pair, "You should see to Kagome-sama's injuries. We'll set up the campsite for this evening, Inuyasha. Won't we, Sango?" his voice trailed off with the broad hint.  
  
"H-hai!" she jumped to her feet hastily and followed him, casting a concerned look back at Kagome, but giving her a wave to answer the question in her friend's eyes. "Don't worry, Kagome-chan, you just relax. Call if you need us."  
  
Kagome nodded and sighed as they disappeared into the trees, "Is it just me, or do you get the impression they just don't know how to act around us since this whole mess started?"  
  
Inuyasha cast a quick look over his shoulder before rising out the little cloth and turning her face back so he could wipe away the blood on her face and neck, "Keh, I think it's more that they don't know how to take you lifting me up and knocking my head into the fucking ground."  
  
She blushed, laughing softly at the fuzzy image her mind gave her, "It felt good."  
  
"I bet," he gave her a dry look.  
  
"What? Don't give me your shit, Inuyasha, when you're the one going on about things being even between you and me," Kagome made a face at him, wincing when he rubbed a tender spot.  
  
"Sorry," he apologized distractedly, but his eyes had softened as he brushed the damp cloth over her cheek with more care. "You hit pretty hard there, there'll definitely be bruises."  
  
"Hn, if I can just somehow heal as fast as you I think we really WILL be even," she flashed him a smile and rubbed at a stubborn ache in her neck, ignoring the muted throb that was now becoming familiar at her hip. "Do you think that really was the spell?"  
  
Inuyasha couldn't help but chuckle at the disappointed tone in her voice, "You'd rather it was all you?"  
  
She shrugged, "It'd be a great bargaining angle for getting home."  
  
He gave a short bark of laughter, "I knew it!"  
  
Kagome frowned, punching him lightly in the chest and letting herself smile when he grunted, "I remember thinking that maybe I learned more from you than swearing."  
  
"Fuck, don't tell me you learned that from me," he made a face himself, looking her over to make sure there were no more injuries. When his hand touched her ribs above her scar, her hand came up to stop him and his brows rose in question. "Here?"  
  
"No, nothing else," she murmured softly, removing the hand and taking it in both of hers to distract him. "It's my head and all around my shoulders. Probably when I hit the ground."  
  
Inuyasha nodded, once again pulling her up into his lap, her back to his chest as he wrapped his arms around her carefully, "I wanted to kill him. It seems like I'm not doing a decent job protecting you lately."  
  
Kagome leaned back into him, closing her eyes wearily, "Maybe I'll have a chance to protect you for a change, Inuyasha."  
  
She felt him smile against her hair before he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her temple. He sighed and grudgingly muttered, "Maybe I should start teaching you how to fight."  
  
Her own mouth spread in a delighted smile and she craned her neck up to give him a little kiss on the cheek herself before resettling with a contented sigh, "That, Inuyasha, is the sweetest thing to come out of your mouth in weeks." 


	10. Peace is the greatest illusion...

A/N: I hope everyone's confused...! If you aren't, I'm terrified, BUT this story is going to get complicated before it comes together. And for anybody who's worried about the whole relationship factor getting a little dominant, just remember a couple things: Inuyasha is from Sengoku Jidai, he's a dog demon, and (most importantly) it's fiction! ::giggle:: whew, I'm having fun! ^_~  
  
Special thanks to LinaNverse for an absolutely killer email. I love getting stuff like that. I'm trying to post a chapter a day since everyone seems to like reading it and it drives me nuts to leave something unfinished. Thank you so much for all my fantastic reviews, I love em all!  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Peace is the greatest illusion...  
  
  
  
Inuyasha glanced away from the night sky down to the girl sleeping peacefully no more than a foot away from him. Instead of taking up his usual post above the group, he'd waited until Kagome set up her sleeping bag and then settled himself against the tree by her head. Ignoring the questioning looks from the collective group he'd growled at Kagome to get some sleep and closed his eyes to discourage any further conversation.  
  
He had no intentions of sleeping, however, waiting until he was certain the others had nodded off before opening his eyes and letting his thoughts wander. He'd been hoping that Kagome would talk to him on her own once she couldn't deny there were things she'd kept from him about that night. So far the only thing she'd done was try to avoid him, and started thinking he was just going to let it drop. He fought the urge to smirk at that thought, shaking his head and moving over to sit beside her to trail a hand through her hair.  
  
Kagome had been doing her best to ignore the changes between them, but he'd had enough of that. Every time she showed signs of understanding her place, she'd freeze up and then start pretending nothing out of the ordinary happened. She hadn't even acknowledged that he'd kissed her for fuck's sake!  
  
Inuyasha scowled and turned his gaze back down to her face, cupping her chin in his hand and studying the dark bruises marring the pale skin. Okay, so maybe that was bothering him more than anything else, but surely that was understandable...  
  
And then he'd overheard that she lied about that night, not telling him that her friends had gotten her drunk. He'd tried to talk to her about it several times and she'd been putting off talking to him about that too. He was starting to curse his decision to let her decide when to bring it up. She agreed, but the more time passed, the less likely it seemed she would start talking on her own.  
  
Then that bizarre incident with the youkai earlier that day had wiped everything from his thoughts except for his fear that something serious had happened to her. He'd been so relieved that she woken up and was herself again that he would have promised her anything to calm her down.  
  
That did bring a smile to his lips.  
  
Kagome wanted to learn how to fight, but he was sure once she calmed down she'd realize she didn't need to learn how as long as he was there to protect her. Now that he could subdue her, there was nothing stopping him from keeping Kagome close enough that nothing bad could happen to her again. The last thing he needed was Kagome thinking that she didn't need to be careful.  
  
But...she'd looked so excited, and she'd kissed him. His eyes warmed as she sighed and shifted closer to him, one hand reaching out to find his. So it was only on the cheek, but it was a start, dammit! ...Maybe it wouldn't hurt to teach her some simple things she could use against humans, so long as she knew it was ONLY for humans and defending herself. She needed to leave the fighting to him.  
  
Shippo gave a little yip in his sleep, drawing Inuyasha's gaze down to the kit curled up on her chest. He grunted, reaching out to set his hand on the kitsune's back and inch him slowly off her until he was curled up at her side. Carefully, he slid his hands under her pillow and eased her head and shoulders up into his lap before tossing the pillow aside.  
  
Inuyasha let out the breath he'd been holding when she stayed asleep and snuggled herself into a comfortable position in his lap. Shippo gave a whine of discomfort and the hanyou scowled in annoyance, awkwardly reaching over Kagome's still form to grab the pillow and drop it over the kit before the noise woke her. The little kitsune grunted, squirming around with the pillow until he was curled up on it the same way he'd been on her chest, rubbing his face against it happily.  
  
He shook his head, muttering under his breath at Shippo's antics as his own hand trailed lazy patterns up and down Kagome's spine. Grateful to whatever force had Kagome sleeping near a tree, he leaned back and moved his hand up to her hair to soothe himself as his thoughts took a less comforting direction.  
  
Didn't she any conception of how serious this could be? He'd already warned her once about lying to him and he'd even asked her flat out if there was anything else and she'd said no. But she had lied about this before, so why not now? Kagome had to know more about what had happened that night that she was saying. Not just about getting drunk either, he'd bet his life on it, and the more he thought about her lying to him, the more his anger rose.  
  
Some monk had done god only knew what to her and she hadn't been in any condition to defend herself or even recall it. And now she was getting possessed by something that was trying to tell her to fight? Something that could rip the arms off a youkai and completely demolish a second with one hand. It had used her own magic with its own if the combination of colors in the energy blast was any indication.  
  
She was still feeling guilty about "sitting" him for the most part and that would definitely work out in his favor. Especially since she was well aware he had no reservations about subduing her if she refused to talk. And they were going to talk.  
  
Inuyasha was going to remind her about the explanations she owed him, then he was going to make sure she knew there would be no chance for a repeat of that night with her friends. He was going to lay down a few rules for her until this puzzle was solved, and if she wasn't willing to help them figure it out... Well, he'd think of something.  
  
One thing was certain, Kagome wasn't getting out of shouting distance for a long time.  
  
**  
  
'Who are you?!' Kagome yelled out in frustration at the laughter echoing in whatever dark expanse her mind had dumped her in. 'Why are you doing this to me? WHAT are you doing to me?'  
  
I already told you what you needed to know.  
  
'Bullshit!' she glared straight ahead, hoping the voice could see it. 'I've been going over what happened in my head since the last time I woke up and none of it makes sense. You aren't telling me everything! I didn't even feel like myself... And then everything I remembered... It was like watching a movie.'  
  
You were in danger, Kagome could practically taste the shrug in the voice. We...*I*...protected you. Would you have rather been hurt? Or died?  
  
'Then Inuyasha was right, it was just the spell,' she deflated a bit, dropping into a sitting position with a huff. 'This is making my head ache.'  
  
Don't be disappointed, the voice scolded lightly. If you weren't as strong as you are it never would have worked so well! All I helped you do was open more of your soul.  
  
'Inuyasha's going to kill me if he finds out about this,' she buried her face in her hands. 'He was right, I was fucking possessed.'  
  
Possessed isn't the right word for it. Just think of it as borrowing a little piece of someone else for a while.  
  
'Don't do it again,' she growled out angrily. 'You tricked me this time, but if you try it again, I'll be ready. I'm not letting someone else use my soul, and I won't use anyone else that way either. If I get hurt, that's my problem.'  
  
I told you that I'm not going to hurt you.  
  
'I've been possessed before,' Kagome shook her head. 'There's nothing harmless about it.'  
  
You just have to trust me. There are many things you don't know.  
  
'Get out of my head!' she clapped both hands over her ears.  
  
No, don't do that! You have to listen to me!  
  
'NO!' Kagome pulled away from the sound of that voice.  
  
Wait!  
  
"Inuyasha!!"  
  
**  
  
Kagome came awake with a start, panting and damp with sweat. Her eyes locked onto familiar scarlet robes and confused, she twisted to look up. Her mouth fell open at finding Inuyasha's sleeping face above her own. With the remnants of her odd nightmare playing havoc with her thought process, she had no idea how long she sat frozen looking up at him.  
  
Her entire upper body was in Inuyasha's lap with one of his hands on her back and the other resting lightly on Tetsusaiga. She'd automatically braced her hands on his thighs when she lifted herself, unwittingly bringing her head a short distance from his own when her gaze locked on his face. As the nightmare faded, her eyes slowly widened and a blush spread from her chest, up her throat and face to the roots of her hair.  
  
'I...I was sleeping in Inuyasha's lap?' her hands tightened convulsively, darkening her blush when the hanyou shifted in his sleep and grunted, the muscles beneath her hands bunching reflexively. She held herself still for a moment to make sure she hadn't accidentally woken the hanyou. When she was certain he was still sleeping, her eyes moved over his relaxed face and she lifted one hand to lightly brush his bangs out of his eyes. Emboldened by his lack of response, she let her fingers lower to hesitantly touch his mouth.  
  
'He never talks about it,' Kagome kept a close watch on his face, making sure he was still asleep as she moved her hand away from his mouth and brushed the back of her hand gently over his cheek. 'Does he remember? Maybe it all got lost in the moment... He was definitely more excited about finding out he had a spell for me than I've ever seen him. It might have just been a reflex,' taking another quick peek up at Inuyasha, she let her hand drop back to his thigh.  
  
Her gaze fell down to her hands as she took a deep breath, 'When did I start to worry so much about what he thinks? Even in my dream I was calling for him as soon as I got scared. Am I that sure he'll protect me?'  
  
She already knew the answer to that, and it completely ruined her best efforts to get her blush under control even as a smile danced about her mouth. 'He's asleep, so why can't I just see? It might not even be what I remember...' Kagome snuck a quick look around the camp, but it was still early enough that the others were sleeping as well.  
  
With a determined expression, she leaned back into Inuyasha. Lifting herself up and pressing her lips lightly against his. Inuyasha's hand on her back tightened and a low growl rumbled from his chest, startling Kagome into pulling away. Chagrined at the thought of being caught kissing him in his sleep, she held her breath and watched his face. But he only shifted his weight and stroked a hand over her back, his eyes never opening.  
  
Relieved beyond belief, she laid back down, releasing his thighs to fold her arms under her chin, 'You're certifiable, Kagome, doing that to Inuyasha when he's sleeping.'  
  
But you liked it, her own mind prodded her. Just as much as you like being here in his lap.  
  
'So maybe I do like it,' she made a face at herself. 'I can like it, can't I?' she stopped herself abruptly, fighting the urge to groan aloud. 'God, I have gone insane. I can't seem to get it through my head that it's unhealthy to argue with myself.'  
  
Kagome opened one eye, rolling over so that she was on her back and looking up at his face as the hand that had been on her back shifted to her shoulder. Reaching up to catch hold of a lock of his hair, she whispered softly, "What am I supposed to do with you, Inuyasha?"  
  
Closing her eyes and letting herself drift back to sleep, she completely missed the smile that crossed the hanyou's lips.  
  
***  
  
"We have to talk."  
  
Kagome groaned and muttered quietly, "Damn, not again."  
  
"You need to tell me what happened, Kagome," Inuyasha stood behind her, his eyes off in the woods as she finished filling up her water bottle in the clear stream. "I've been patient enough."  
  
Kagome frowned, glancing over her shoulder as she stood, "I thought we had gotten over all that."  
  
"Keh, just because I let you put it off doesn't mean I let it go," he snorted, turning to catch her eyes with his own. "I think that especially with what happened yesterday you need to tell me everything you're keeping from me. We have to figure out just what the hell that monk did to you."  
  
Kagome looked away from the intensity of his gaze, tucking her hair behind her ear before dropping her hand to her hip, "I already told you everything I remember."  
  
"You lied about being drunk," Inuyasha pointed out, shaking his head at her obstinence and putting himself directly in her line of sight. "You still haven't told me why."  
  
"I did NOT lie," she frowned at him, her hand clenching as the tattoo started to throb. "But I told you that I didn't tell you because you'd overreact. Nothing happened!"  
  
"Nothing? Fuck, I can't believe I just heard that come out of your mouth," he arched one brow in disbelief. "You forgot the monk that quickly? The subduing spell? That weird shit from yesterday?"  
  
Kagome blushed in embarrassment, "That's not what I meant! The monk probably would have been there even if I hadn't been drunk. It isn't like all this happened just because of that."  
  
"And would you have gone exploring when you felt strange magic anyway?" he challenged, his voice a growl from supressed emotion.  
  
Her expression was apologetic and dismayed, "Probably...?"  
  
Inuyasha's jaw clenched, his eyes closed and his eyebrow twitching as he felt the return of his anger in one fell swoop. "Kagome?" his voice was flat.  
  
Kagome's brows raised with uncertain question as she belatedly wondered if she should have lied about that too, "Ahh...h-hai?"  
  
"I'm never letting you out of my fucking sight again," he forced out through gritted teeth, his eyes burning into hers.  
  
She winced, trying to skirt her way around the hanyou who looked as though he was going to start snarling any second, "It's really not that bad, Inuyasha."  
  
"Stay," he growled out the moment she was beside him, his arm snaking out to catch her before she hit the ground.  
  
"Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled out in frustration, her eyes flashing dangerously.  
  
"Bitch, you haven't got the preservation sense of a damn goat!" he roared, eyes blazing as he put her over his shoulder again. "Don't stand there and give me this shit when you have to be aware of everything that could have happened. When you know what did happen. If those girls were all the protection you had it's a wonder you didn't get killed!"  
  
Kagome sighed in annoyance as he started off away from camp, "This had better not be turning into another lecture, Inuyasha."  
  
"I haven't even started," Inuyasha's arm around her waist tightened in warning. "What the hell were you thinking going off without telling me? Anything could have attacked you! You could have been killed, or raped, or-"  
  
"Inuyasha, I was fine!" she smacked him on the back to stop the angry tirade. "Things are different in my time, and there wasn't any danger-"  
  
"That is the most naive thing I've ever heard from you," he hissed as he landed, sliding her off his shoulder and sitting her down on an upturned tree. "Use your head, Kagome, I've had to fight at least one youkai in your time and there are angry ghosts, so don't tell me there aren't any evil men."  
  
She made a frustrated sound in her throat, "Well, no, there are still- "  
  
"So four girls, one drunk, went out alone and it was all okay?" Inuyasha set his fists on his hips.  
  
"Well, it sounds a lot worse when you say it," she pouted, knowing she probably sounded like a little kid but too annoyed to care. "Just forget it, Inuyasha, it's over with," she stood, glaring up at him with her arms folded over her chest.  
  
He just stared at her in amazement for a moment before his brows lowered dangerously, "Just forget it? You've got to be fucking kidding me!"  
  
Kagome held up her hands in what she hoped was a placating gesture, "At least the drunk thing?"  
  
"Not a chance," he shook his head. "This never would have happened if you'd told me what was going on."  
  
"You wouldn't have let me go out, that's why!" she snapped back at him.  
  
"I would have been able to tell if someone was getting you drunk!" Inuyasha snarled. "Even a human 'should' have been able to smell it. Weren't you thinking at all or are you incapable of taking care of yourself without me?"  
  
Kagome's expression darkened angrily, "Sit!"  
  
"Stay!" he hooked an arm around her waist as he dropped, taking her down with him.  
  
Kagome sat stiffly, her hands fisted as she glared down at Inuyasha's head beside her hip, "This has gotten so damn counterproductive."  
  
"I warned you that if you said it, I would too," he grunted as he turned his head, fighting the immobility of the spell.  
  
"Old habits die hard," she sighed, avoiding his gaze. "I'm so used to saying 'it' when you piss me off that it just comes out. Why did you grab me?"  
  
Inuyasha gave her a look that said very clearly he was aware she was trying to change the subject, "To keep you here."  
  
Kagome frowned, leaning back to get a better look at his face, "We're a week away from the well, Inuyasha, it's not like I'm going anywhere."  
  
"If I hadn't subdued you, you'd already have run off somewhere," he shrugged, his eyes daring her to deny it. "Probably grabbed Sango and done that damn girl thing."  
  
Kagome's face took on a look of pained amusement, "One of these days, Inuyasha, I want you to explain how you figured out the 'girl thing' to me."  
  
Inuyasha just snorted, propping himself up on his other arm as his control returned, "That's enough avoiding the issue, Kagome. What else do you know about what happened that night?"  
  
She turned her head down to glare at him again, "Nothing else, Inuyasha. I've told you everything I remember."  
  
"You're sure?" his eyes narrowed sharply. "If you lie to me..."  
  
"I'm sure," Kagome's jaw set and she forced herself to keep her eyes on his. "You know as much as I do."  
  
Inuyasha kept glaring at her silently for a long moment, but finally he nodded and rose to his feet before reaching out and plucking her off the ground. He went back to the same log he'd set her on before, sitting down himself and pulling her against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist and set his chin on her shoulder.  
  
Kagome blinked, wide-eyed at the rather blatant embrace. Clearing her throat, she grabbed his forearms, "Inuyasha?"  
  
"You're bound to me, Kagome," he responded to the unspoken inquiry in her voice with a shrug.  
  
She huffed in irritation, "You've been bound to me since the first day and you never acted like this. The only other time you hugged me, you stole the jewel."  
  
"That was different," Inuyasha smirked, his arms tightening around her and refusing to rise to her bait.  
  
"How?" Kagome growled out, giving up on getting out of his embrace or cooling the blush that had again splashed across her face.  
  
"You don't control me anymore," Inuyasha rubbed his cheek on hers once and reminded her calmly. 'And you hadn't kissed me, thinking I was still asleep,' he closed his eyes and grinned, hiding it against her shoulder as she slowly relaxed back into him with a sigh. 


	11. The best laid plans...

Standard disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi  
  
A/N: All right, so Inuyasha's getting suspicious and Kagome's getting more secrets as time goes by... Everybody knows that just when you think things are going great, something bad is just waiting to happen. ^_~  
  
Once again, thanks to all my fabulous reviewers, especially the incredible ones I'm getting in email! I update so often just because you ask me to. LOL  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: The best laid plans...  
  
  
  
"Please tell me you're joking," Kagome groaned, covering her eyes with one hand and wrapping the other around her stomach when it started turning flips at Inuyasha's casual suggestion.  
  
"I'll keep my back turned the entire time," Inuyasha responded, folding his arms into the sleeves of his robes, but not moving from where he blocked her attempted exit.  
  
"Absolutely not!" she shook her head, pushing away from the wall and glaring at him in adamant denial.  
  
Miroku had "arranged" lodging for the night for them when they reached the small village, and Kagome had decided to take full advantage of their stop in civilization. However, the moment she'd announced her intentions, Inuyasha had been right there to enforce that ridiculous rule he'd given her about not being out of his sight...for anything.  
  
"I'm not asking, Kagome," he frowned down at her stubbornly. "You're not going anywhere without me, and that includes bathing. Either I go with you, or you don't bathe tonight."  
  
Kagome turned deep red when Miroku made a choking sound of amusement from the other side of the room, the sound barely smothered by his had. Redirecting her anger at an easier opponent, she shot him a freezing glare, her fists clenching at her sides. The priest made a valiant attempt to put on his infamous blank expression, but finally gave up and settled for giving her a sympathetic half-smile and a shrug. Irritated at her distraction, Inuyasha reached out and set a hand on her shoulder to draw her back to the arguement at hand.  
  
Sighing heavily, she reluctantly turned her attention back to the hanyou, "I think I'll be fine for twenty minutes. You can hear me if I scream, right?"  
  
Sango quickly yanked on a chunk of the hanyou's hair when he seemed ready to argue. Kagome's voice had gone from annoyed to downright pissed and the last thing they really needed was a screaming match between the two in the village leader's home, "I'll go with her! We'll be fine, Inuyasha, don't worry."  
  
"I promise I'll call for you if something happens," Kagome added, clapping her hands together and giving him wide-eyed look of pleading, silently chanting a plea to whatever higher powers were listening that he give in.  
  
Inuyasha looked down and her, his scowl wavering with his indecision until he finally turned his face aside and snorted, "Keh."  
  
Kagome grinned, grabbing Sango with one hand and her bath bag with the other. Skirting around the hanyou with a speed born of relieved desperation, she yanked the exterminator out of the room, "That means yes, let's go before he changes his mind!"  
  
Sango almost started giggling at the growl that came from Inuyasha when the younger girl all but dragged her down the empty hallway, "I don't know if I should be worried at the thought that you can translate Inuyasha's 'keh' that easily."  
  
"I try not to think about it," Kagome smiled brightly as they made their way to the bath the elder's wife had shown them on the way in. "But I know when to take advantage of him going soft."  
  
"He's just worried about you, Kagome-chan," Sango sighed, shaking her head as she reached down to clasp the younger girl's hand and give it a squeeze. "You should have seen his face when you fainted after that mess with the youkai. He wouldn't let any of us near you," she informed the surprised girl with a nod to show she was being honest.  
  
Kagome swore beneath her breath, a frustrated sound working it way free around the muttered words as they reached the bath. She was scowling as she slid the door open, "I hate it when he does that."  
  
"Does what?" the exterminator frowned in genuine confusion.  
  
"Acts so damn sweet that I can't stay mad at him no matter how big a jerk I think he's being," Kagome made a face. "Just when I think I'm fed up with that damn cocky attitude, he turns it around on me. And then I remember he's not 'always' trying to irritate me, he's just being himself. I can't think of him like a guy from my time."  
  
"Like a human, you mean?" Sango slid the door closed, frowning into the hallway as she checked to see if the hanyou was planning on eavesdropping. "Youkai are a bit different with how they behave towards the females they consider their own, Kagome, I'm sure you're aware of that. Whether you like it or not, Inuyasha is rather...possessive with you. You can't hold him to human standards."  
  
"He's more than a human," Kagome smiled, her finger lightly brushing her lips. "I know he thinks of things differently than a human guy would, I hope he always does. It's just that I'm never sure where exactly I stand with him. And he's protected me for so long... Do you think he cares, Sango-chan? Even a little? He might just think I'm like a pet or something..."  
  
Sango laughed softly at her uncertain tone, "I don't think he's sees you as a pet, Kagome-chan. I'm sure he cares more than a little. And he's been showing it more since this mess started, right? I don't think I've ever seen Inuyasha quite so...ah, openly affectionate."  
  
Kagome briefly leaned back against the wall, closing her eyes, "That confuses me a little."  
  
At Sango's silence, Kagome opened one eye to glance at her friend, blushing at the arched brow and almost taunting question in her eyes.  
  
"Okay, okay, so I'm a lot confused by that," she admitted in a low voice. "I mean, he's always grabbing my hand or pulling me up against him... He's never done that. Especially not in front of people!"  
  
"AND... you were sleeping in his lap!" Sango couldn't help but tease, laughing when the younger girl blushed bright red. "He didn't look like he minded, Kagome-chan. He even pushed Shippo-chan off you to put you there."  
  
Kagome sputtered, dropping her head to hide her face and absently rubbing her hand over her neck, "I...ah, we..."  
  
Sango was laughing even more and the incoherent stuttering, shaking her head as she moved to test the water, "Don't worry about it! I'm sure Inuyasha will explain himself if you asked him."  
  
Kagome's face turned about three different shades of scarlet, "I'm not sure I want to ask..."  
  
Sango sighed and shook her head, "You can't just ignore it, you know."  
  
"I know," her shoulders slumped in defeat. "I'm... I'm just scared of what he'd say. I don't know what answer I want to hear."  
  
Her eyes were sympathetic and with a light sigh, she reached out and took the younger girl's hand, "C'mon, Kagome-chan, the faster we bathe, the less likely Inuyasha is to come down on our heads for being gone to long."  
  
Kagome nodded silently, grateful for the distraction even as she tried to think of the best ways to keep Sango from seeing the dark crimson tattoo. Finally deciding it'd be best to just keep that side facing away from the exterminator, she moved to join her friend in the pleasantly steaming water.  
  
*  
  
Inuyasha returned to the room quietly with a thoughtful look on his face.  
  
The odd behavior had Miroku's brows raising in question, "Did you hear something unpleasant, Inuyasha?"  
  
Inuyasha grunted, plopping down against the far wall, folding his arms across his chest and growling out a distracted, "That's none of your fucking business."  
  
His mind was focused more on what he'd just heard from Kagome, puzzling over what the girl could have meant. 'He's more than a human...' Did that mean Kagome thought he was better than any of the idiots he'd heard of in her time? Better than any human man? He ducked his head to hide the smirk on his lips, 'First she calls me the great Inuyasha and now this. Why doesn't she just tell me to my face?'  
  
Then he frowned. She'd been asking Sango if he cared... And the other things she'd said... How could she not realize the she belonged to him? That couldn't be right, though. After all, she'd stayed in his lap even after she woke up and realized where she was, and she'd kissed him all on her own. That had to mean she understood, so then, why had she asked the questions she had? Damn, he was going to have to pull her aside and explain this too.  
  
A little hand tugging hard on his sleeve brought his thoughts back to the present and he turned a scowl down at the kitsune looking up at him in speculation, "What do you want, brat?"  
  
"You're thinking again," Shippo sat back with a frown. "You've been doing that a lot lately and you shouldn't. It's too scary."  
  
Inuyasha growled down at him in annoyance, sending Shippo scrambling for cover. But just as the hanyou had shifted, getting his feet under him to spring an attack at the impertinent little brat, Miroku very effectively turned his attention.  
  
Clearing his throat discreetly, the monk folded his hands in his lap and spoke softly, "Inuyasha, we must discuss what is happening to Kagome- sama."  
  
Sending Shippo a glare that promised future retribution, he turned to the priest and nodded stiffly, "Then you did sense something strange."  
  
Miroku sent the hanyou a rather dry look, "Was it the glowing eyes that gave it away? Or maybe Kagome ripping off that youkai's arms? Or that weird voice?"  
  
Inuyasha growled, leaning back as his posture all at once turned defensive, "I meant something 'besides' that shit, you fucking lech, and you know it!"  
  
Miroku let out a weary sigh, "It was quite disturbing, Inuyasha."  
  
The growling ceased immediately and he perked up, leaning forward on his haunches with his ears twitching towards the nervous priest as he demanded, "What did you feel?"  
  
"Obviously there was a massive level of power around her," he began, turning his gaze to the closed door as though worried someone might come through it at any moment. "But there were three seperate powers mixing together, her own, and two foreign magics that seemed to be pulling off Kagome's energy. As though they were using her to make theirs stronger."  
  
Inuyasha's expression hardened, "Three? So there were two other souls using her? Pulling off her energy?"  
  
"It would seem so," Miroku nodded, absently fingering the sealing beads on his cursed hand. "One of the magics was similar to the one that first surrounded her in the well, but the other I didn't recognize."  
  
"Damn," he sat back, scowling towards the door himself. "I knew there had to be more to that fucking spell."  
  
There was silence for a moment as the two adults sat absorbed in their thoughts with Shippo nervously looking back and forth between them. Scooting closer to the scowling hanyou, he whispered hopefully, "You can fix it, right? Like the last time?"  
  
Inuyasha didn't answer, but he reached out and gave the kit an absent, awkward pat on the head. His jaw clenched as he averted his face and spoke, "Oi, priest..."  
  
Miroku's brows rose in silent encouragement.  
  
"Do you think the spell went wrong?" he grumbled out. "Is it possible that someone else was supposed to gain control of her and she just heard me first?"  
  
"I had thought of that," Miroku conceded gravely. "Or perhaps there was another who took advantage of her...condition that night and used the spellcaster's actions to hide their own. If only Kagome had not been intoxicated we would have had a clearer picture of what happened to her."  
  
Now Inuyasha was growling again, "If only."  
  
Miroku motioned with one hand in an absent gesture of dismissal, "There is no use looking backwards. It will only work against us. We simply must find out what is going on with the information we do have."  
  
"It would help if she wasn't so fucking secretive all the time," Inuyasha muttered, folding his arms over his chest in the perfect picture of masculine arrogance. "Look at how long it took to find out she was drunk."  
  
"She was only concerned with your reaction," the priest tried to soothe the anger he saw flashing in the hanyou's golden eyes.  
  
"Keh, she knew that it wouldn't have happened if she'd just used her head and told me what she was doing," he snorted. "That bitch is turning me into a raving lunatic," Inuyasha sighed wearily, his shoulders slumping as he leaned back against the wall.  
  
Shippo smiled at that, giggling softly, "I think it's too late for that."  
  
"That does it."  
  
*  
  
If Kagome and Sango had left the bath just a moment sooner they would have been flattened by the wailing kitsune bursting from their rooms followed closely by a swearing hanyou. Both girls froze, gaping in amazement after the pair for a moment before they both let out a long suffering sigh and continued into the room.  
  
"I don't think those two will ever change," Sango muttered as she pulled the ribbon from her hair to let the thick mass tumble down around her shoulders.  
  
"It would terrify me if they did," Kagome admitted sheepishly, kneeling by her pack to put her bath bag away. "What set them off this time, Miroku-sama?"  
  
Miroku jumped in alarm, his gaze jumping quickly from lower areas up to Kagome's questioning face, "Ah, ahem-" He quickly slapped a harmless smile on his face, "Shippo was merely commenting on Inuyasha's questionable sanity."  
  
"That would do it," Sango rolled her eyes, settling herself down for her nightly ritual of polishing her Hiraikotsu. She gave the monk a suspicious look when he scooted closer to her and tapped her fingers against the massive boomerang meaningfully.  
  
Miroku pouted, but obediently sat back, turning his gaze towards Kagome as she dug through her pack for dinner. "Would you care for some help, Kagome-sama?" Miroku offered in his most neutral voice.  
  
Her thoughts wandering well away from the dangers of accepting help from the proven lecherous monk, she gave him a distracted smile and nodded, "Would you heat some water for me?"  
  
"Certainly," Miroku rose to his feet and moved about to perform the rather menial task, his eyes continuously straying to Kagome's backside with an appreciative smile.  
  
Sango tossed a rag at his head, giving him a warning glare when he turned in her direction, pulling the rag off with his most innocent look. She shook her head, once again giving her weapon a meaningful shift and Miroku sighed with regret, nodding his head to indicate his understanding. Satisfied with his acquiescence, she held out her hand to indicate she wanted the rag returned, her attention going back to cleaning the boomerang once he had thrown it back.  
  
Miroku intended to leave Kagome alone while he helped her, he really had... And he would have been able to stick to that, had he not turned back to find her bent over, digging through her bag almost directly in front of him. His hand fisted, twitching as his eyes were drawn to the inviting curves not an arm's length away.  
  
Habit took over and his hand moved forward with a will of its own.  
  
Several things happened at once.  
  
Kagome straightened and turned just as his hand reached her, his hand making contact with her hip rather than the curve of her backside like he'd intended; Inuyasha returned, holding Shippo by the tail just in time to see the action; and instead of the expected scream of outrage, Kagome let out a scream of pain and dropped to her knees with her hands clamped over her side.  
  
And all hell broke loose.  
  
Inuyasha had dropped Shippo and was across the room before Miroku had even moved, his clawed hand catching the priest by the throat and slamming him back against the wall with enough force to send a shudder through the structure. Sango shot to her feet, chasing after the two men with her attention divided between saving the priest from the enraged hanyou and doing him serious injury herself for hurting Kagome.  
  
Both Inuyasha and Sango started yelling at the same time, Inuyasha demanding to know what Miroku had done and threatening all sorts of death and dismemberment while Sango was insisting Inuyasha not kill him yet and them bellowing some demands of her own. Trying to get a word in over the two angry voices, Miroku was stubbornly insisting he hadn't done anything while trying to forcefully pry the hand away from his throat before he was strangled to death.  
  
In the midst of the instant chaos, Kagome sat with a stunned expression on her face, her back to the arguing trio as Shippo very slowly made his way to her side. Kagome was shaking, her hands clamped so hard on her side that the knuckles had turned white and her eyes unfocused as she tried to sort out just what had just happened herself.  
  
'What? What the hell was that?' she shook her head in denial, her eyes lowering to her hands in disbelief. 'The moment he touched me...the pain was so... Why did it hurt me? It... it never hurt when...when I touched it...'  
  
Shippo's hand on her knee chased the distant look from her eyes and focused her attention down to the kitsune. Her brows drew together slightly in confusion and she ignored the screaming behind her to deal with the worried kit, "Shippo-chan?"  
  
His eyes were filled with uncertain concern as he calmly asked, "Has that weird bruise not healed up yet, Kagome?"  
  
The room went so silent that Kagome's sharply indrawn gasp seemed to echo off the walls louder than her previous scream.  
  
Kagome felt as though the bottom had just dropped out of her stomach, her eyes going wide with horror and her mouth very slowly falling open as she looked down at Shippo in disbelief. Her muscles went lax with dawning comprehension at just what Shippo's quiet question had done and her eyes drifted closed as she scrambled for something to say. Something, ANYTHING that would save her from discovery and that god-awful feeling of impending doom.  
  
The silence was broken by an emotionless, flat demand filled with undeniable authority, "What?"  
  
Shippo flinched at the coldness in the hanyou's voice, leaning to the side to peer up at him with his eyes wide and frightened, "I saw it before, and Miroku touched her where she had this mmpf-!"  
  
He was cut off when Kagome snatched him up, clapping her hand over the youkai child's mouth and stammered out a hurried, "It's nothing!"  
  
The silence fell again and Kagome hunched over the kitsune, her shoulders shaking as she bit down hard on her lower lip, acutely aware of the three people standing silent and motionless behind her.  
  
Shippo looked up at her in confusion, his hands easing hers off his mouth so he could inquire innocently, "Did I say something wrong?" 


	12. Silence to precede the storm....

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and co belong to Rumiko Takahashi...  
  
A/N: Okay, sue me, I'm an evil little puppy... ::giggle:: Keep in mind, it's got a higher rating because it's not all happy fuzzy stuff. I've been asked how I update so quickly, and honestly, that's just how fast I write when I get hit with an idea...I don't know how, it just flows that way sometimes, ya know? Should I take a little more time between the updates? I have no idea, this is the first story I've posted, so maybe I'm breaking some unspoken rule... At any rate, again I get such fantastic reviews from everyone. I adore you..::blows kisses:: And great emails too! Lina and Smarty Cat have been SO flattering that I'm not sure I'll ever stop blushing... LOL  
  
And now, the moment I'm sure some of you doubted would EVER come...! ^_~  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Silence to precede the storm....  
  
  
  
The silence was so complete and packed with the thrum of subtle menace it became deafening... even painful as it stretched on in the little room.  
  
Kagome held Shippo to her so tightly he was starting to worry, especially since her eyes had gone glassy and the only color on her face was the blue and purple bruises from her fight with the two reptile youkai. Shippo could feel her heartbeat start to pound, her mouth moving with silent words only she could decipher as she gathered him to her chest and held him like a lifeline to her own sanity. He leaned up on his tiptoes to pet her cheek, trying his hardest to snap her out of whatever held her so enthralled, but Kagome didn't even register his little attempts.  
  
Inuyasha had completely forgotten that his hand was still wrapped tightly around Miroku's throat, however, Miroku was in much the same state of mind. The hands he'd wrapped around the hanyou's wrist were slack with surprise as they stood frozen in disbelief, their eyes completely centered on the shaking girl who sat with her back to them. She was presently trying to curl into on herself as though it would somehow hide her from their silent attention and, more importantly to her, from the slow stream of anger that had begun rolling off the hanyou in thick, nearly tangible waves.  
  
Shippo's casual comment had fallen on their ears with the effect of an explosion, made that much more disturbing by her reaction and the silence now choking the group. The slow dawning of understanding had Inuyasha's brows lowering and a dangerous growl steadily gaining volume in his throat. And the longer the silence stretched, the more he felt his anger rise.  
  
Shippo had discovered something that Kagome had hidden from the rest of them.  
  
Deliberately.  
  
And Kagome had told him to his face there was nothing else she hadn't told him.  
  
"What weird bruise?" Inuyasha released Miroku so abruptly, the priest didn't have time to keep himself from dropping rather unceremoniously to the ground. Ignoring the surprised gasp and muted curse rising from the man, he turned towards Kagome, his lips pulling back in a snarl at her lack of response. "What the hell is he talking about, Kagome? What bruise? Answer me!"  
  
Silence fell yet again, nothing in the room moving for a long moment.  
  
Finally, Kagome gently set Shippo on the ground in front of her, shifting her weight so she could rise to her feet. Shippo tried to cling to her, his eyes going liquid with fright at such uncharacteristic behavior in his beloved Kagome. She very gently, but firmly distangled him, giving him an absent pat as she stood.  
  
Her motions were slow, measured, as though she wasn't sure her legs would support the commands her brain was sending to it. She kept her back to the three the entire time, aware of their gazes boring into her with silent demands for answers. She tried to speak, but the emotions humming thickly in the air, hers and theirs, closed her throat and not matter how hard she tried to force words past her lips, she couldn't do anything more than open and close her mouth weakly.  
  
Her head bowed forward as her mind raced desperately from one thought to the other, refusing to settle on a plausible response. She'd told Shippo it was a bruise, but Inuyasha would know... IF she told him it was a bruise, directly over her scar from the Shikon no Tama, he would demand to see it. He would know the convenient bruise was just too coincidental with everything else that happened and then he would want to know how long she'd had it... He would be livid when he saw his own name permanently inked into her hip and even more so when he realized how long she'd known it was there and just hadn't told him. Especially considering this time, she HAD lied.  
  
Panic welled up steadily inside Kagome, her imagination running wild with all the possibilities that revealing the mark to Inuyasha could bring. How would he react? There wasn't any way she could pretend it was anything else when it was so precisely his name. Feeling trapped and desperate, she did the one thing pounding the strongest through her chaotic thoughts. The thought repeated over and over.  
  
"Sit!" Kagome forced out, the sound of her own voice breaking her paralysis. In the same instant she breathed the subduing spell, she was launching herself forward at an adrenaline-fueled dead run.  
  
"Dammit!" Inuyasha snarled out as he went crashing down, so startled at the abrupt response that for a few seconds he nearly forgot he had his own for her. "Stay!" he roared out at the top of his lungs, his head snapping up to try and find her fleeing figure.  
  
He barely heard the soft shriek of surprised outrage and the thump that indicated she hadn't gotten out of range of his voice fast enough to avoid being subdued herself. That was a small consolation, however, considering the rage pouring through him at the moment. His claws dug deeply into the wood beneath his palms, making it groan loudly in protest as his eyes seemed to catch fire. His entire form shook from the effort it took to contain the seething anger even as a feral growl began to rumble steadily from his chest and his eyes narrowed to slits. There was no response, absolutely 'nothing' that could have confirmed to him this was yet another secret faster or more damningly than Kagome's reaction, and running had only proven that knew just how badly she'd fucked up. If she thought she could get away from him she was going to be sorely disappointed.  
  
Determined to get an explanation even as the force of his anger made his blood scream and his heart pound, he wrenched his upper body up on his hands. Brute strength alone levering him up against the rosary's spell so he could look out into the night. His nose twitched even as his ears flicked forward, fanning out his senses for her exact position, but the wind was being uncooperative.  
  
Inuyasha swore blackly at his immobility, turning that hell-fire gaze to Miroku and Sango, "What the hell are you waiting for? Go get her and fucking bring her back in here!"  
  
Miroku took an instinctive step away from the hanyou, swallowing an immediate agreement to spread his hands in a placating gesture, "Inuyasha, don't you think you should wait until your temper has settled?"  
  
Inuyasha's response was a threatening show of fangs as disturbingly a hint of red bled into the glowing gold. Yet when he spoke, despite the constant growl, his voice was soft and more deadly than his worst shout, "Go get her. Now."  
  
Sango set a hand on the startled priest's arm, nervously hoping they weren't about to have to fight Inuyasha's youkai form, "We'll scare her if we drag her back here like that. It would be better if we wait, wouldn't it? Kagome-chan has nowhere to go except to us."  
  
"I don't give half a fucking damn how scared she is," he answered, forcing his body up into a crouch. "She's scared because she knows she fucking disobeyed me!"  
  
Miroku's eyes were wide at the hanyou's motions against the subduing spell, alarmed that he could manage such a feat through anger alone. Hoping to distract the hanyou into cooling down at least a little, he turned his own attention down to where Shippo sat cringing in uncertain fear. He knelt before the kitsune with the soft inquiry, "What did the bruise look like, Shippo?"  
  
Shippo jumped at the question, backing away from them when all their heads turned in his direction. His eyes widened and he paled as he finally realized that it was all his fault things had just turned ugly and Kagome was trying to run away. 'He' was making her run, not Inuyasha! This had just turned into the little kitsune's worst nightmare, "I...I didn't see it for more than a second! I thought she was bleeding, but Kagome just said she accidentally hit her hip on her desk and bruised it! It was so long ago that I...I thought it would have healed by now..."  
  
Inuyasha silently flexed his hands, timing how long it would take to catch the fleeing girl when the spell wore off as he processed Shippo's explanation. It seemed to be taking an agonizingly long stretch of time for the spell to completely release him this time, and that just notched his growling a step louder. Kagome was trying to run from him, he could feel her fear and her desire to flee teasing his instincts. Everything in him demanded he give chase, and this time there was no chance in hell of her getting away. He simply would not allow it. His jaw clenched so hard it was a wonder the bones didn't shatter under the strain and he looked at the kit to demand, "Where is it?"  
  
Flustered, but not daring to refuse the hanyou in this state, Shippo shook his head and looked out in the direction Kagome had tried to run, "She...she keeps rubbing it. Like it hurts."  
  
"That goddamn scar," his eyes hardened and he swung his head back to the open doorway. "She's been rubbing it since she fucking got back! Kagome, you bitch! You fucking lied to me!"  
  
"I did not!" came the shaky response from outside, farther away than he'd first thought and bringing a scowl to his face as he refigured the distance.  
  
"Then get your ass back here and show me this damn bruise!" Inuyasha yelled back, uncaring that his voice was likely waking up everyone in the house. If she didn't have something to hide, she wouldn't have run in the first place, would she? Okay, so maybe she had just panicked at not telling him she had hurt herself, he reasoned as he tried to take deep breaths and cool some of the anger at that possibility. If she came back now, that would prove-  
  
"No!"  
  
Well, to hell with that possibility.  
  
"Kagome!" he growled, his voice full of warning and unmistakable command.  
  
Miroku and Sango shared a look before hurrying to the doorway and searching the shadowed courtyard for Kagome's location. She'd managed to hop the low rail on the raised walkway and was halfway across the empty yard, sitting cross-legged in the grass but looking over her shoulder at them. It was amazing she had managed to cross that great a distance in so short a time, but Inuyasha's spell dropped her just a quickly as hers dropped him and she was presently just as immobile as he was. She had a determined expression on her face, one hand on her hip and the other fisted in her lap.  
  
"Kagome-sama..." Miroku blinked at her in surprise, truly concerned for her welfare. Was this all part of this spell? Something might be controlling her, but... There was just something about the entire situation that felt wrong. Not enchanted...just wrong.  
  
"I won't!" she shook her head fiercely, her jaw set as she looked from the room out to the woods. "It's just a stupid bruise!"  
  
"Then...why are you running?" Sango shook her head, confused and more than a little alarmed at the girl's reaction. As much as she hated to see them going back and forth with the subduing spell, she had to admit that she felt Inuyasha was justified at the moment. Kagome was acting so bizarre... What could she possibly be this afraid of if it was just a bruise? And why wouldn't she tell them?  
  
A glimmer of renewed panic went through her eyes, but she squelched it out stubbornly, moving both hands until her palms rested in the grass. "I... I just need to be by myself! Leave me alone!" her muscles tightened visibly as she turned away from them.  
  
"She's going to run," Sango whispered to Miroku, looking back at Inuyasha's set expression and glowing eyes in concern.  
  
Miroku shook his head, gesturing back at the hanyou, "He won't let her."  
  
Almost as though the words had been the trigger, the spells wore off and Kagome was up and running at the same instant a blur of red and white shot past them so fast it set clothes and hair billowing like mad.  
  
As soon as he'd cleared the railing, Inuyasha bellowed angrily, "STAY!"  
  
"SIT!"  
  
Both again dropped instantly where they stood, but Inuyasha was only a few feet away from her this time. Kagome might be moving at adrenaline hightened speed, but it was still nothing compared to the hanyou. Especially a hanyou as pissed off as Inuyasha was at the moment, "Dammit, bitch, this isn't getting us anywhere! I can do this just as fucking long as you can! But you're going to tell me what the hell is going on."  
  
"Then we aren't moving from this spot!" she turned her head to glare at him. "I don't have to show you every bruise I get, Inuyasha. I mean it, just let me fucking be by myself for a little while!"  
  
Sango and Miroku hopped the railing, landing at the same moment and walking closer to the pair hesitantly. Their attention, however was centered mainly on Kagome, their expressions filled with their disbelief at the scene unfolding in front of them. She was swearing at Inuyasha and as far as they had come to figure out, she only did that since he gained his own subduing spell and when she was feeling helpless. When she knew he was right and she couldn't do anything to change it... That meant she was most definitely hiding something important.  
  
"Kagome-sama," Miroku attempted to break the staring match between the two, the strained battle of wills as every thing about Inuyasha's gaze screamed at her to obey and hers just as adamantly resisted. "Surely nothing could be this bad... You can tell us what happened."  
  
"We only want to help you," Sango added, uncertain of whether or not they would have to protect Kagome from the force of Inuyasha's anger. They could see the spell wearing off in slow degrees simply by the way both antagonists went stiff, muscles bunching in preparation for flight with one and pursuit in the other.  
  
"Then leave me alone," Kagome growled out herself, her eyes never leaving Inuyasha's.  
  
"Not a fucking chance, little girl," he bared his fangs, answering the challenge in her voice.  
  
"It's mine to deal with," she hissed, a note of desperation creeping into her voice. "I can handle this on my own."  
  
There it was. The admission that she was willfully concealing something that she knew was serious, something that she knew would make them angry. Sango gasped, her hand rising to her throat as Miroku's face took on a pained look and he shook his head regretfully. This would definitely set off the hanyou's temper like nothing else could.  
  
Inuyasha very briefly shot his gaze askance when the pair trying to diffuse the situation shifted as though about to come between them. The look in his eyes stopped them in their tracks, however, as he ground out, "It's between Kagome and me, you two. Stay out of it on your own, or I'll knock you out of it."  
  
Shippo had hopped onto the rail, his fists clenched over his mouth and looking like he was about to cry at any second. "Kagome, I'm so sorry!" he cried out desperately, looking from her to Inuyasha and back. "Please don't run away!"  
  
Kagome's gaze broke away from Inuyasha's switching instantly to Shippo's face. At the sorrow and fear in his eyes, she felt a pang of guilt so intense it brought tears to her own eyes. She shook her head, doing her best to rid her voice of her fear and filling with concerned reassurance, "Shippo-chan. I...I'm not angry with you... You know, I'm not."  
  
"But-" the kitsune shook his head, still looking miserable and uncertain. "But you're scared-!"  
  
A slight shift from the figure in front of her had her eyes jumping away from Shippo's face and back to Inuyasha's glowing eyes. He was waiting for her response just as much as the rest of them... Probably more after she'd told him over and over that there was nothing else that happened that night. He was well aware she would do nearly anything to soothe the little kit, her own instincts demanding nothing less of her even under these circumstances.  
  
"It's...it's not your fault, Shippo-chan," she averted her face and said softly, her hand moving down to her hip.  
  
"You 'are' hiding something," Inuyasha's voice softened even as there was a subtle shift in his features, the aura around him. He was every inch the predator at the moment, and all those instincts were focused on her.  
  
Kagome leaned away from him instinctively, "It wasn't worth mentioning-"  
  
"Then you did lie," his hands clenched on the ground, blood seeping out from between his fingers as his claws dug deeply into his own palms. "You looked into my eyes and lied. What the fuck happened, Kagome? What are you hiding this time? And why?!"  
  
The spell wore off a second time, but Kagome had barely started to move when Inuyasha came after her, moving so fast he nearly blurred. Swallowing a scream of alarm, she yelled out again, "Sit!"  
  
"Stay!" his hand caught onto hers and held tight as they hit the ground again.  
  
Kagome tried to extricate herself from the hanyou's hold, looking pleadingly up at Sango and Miroku when it became obvious he wasn't releasing her hand anytime soon. But they were both looking at her with almost accusing expressions. Their jaws set as they tensely waited to see what she would say. They all knew it now. She had been lying to all of them about what she remembered from that night. There was no other reason for this kind of behavior, but for some reason, she was terrified to tell them what it was.  
  
"You know what that monk did to you, don't you?" Miroku asked softly, casting a quick look at the hanyou to gauge just how angry he'd become. Gratefully, catching hold of Kagome seemed to have taken the feral edge off the anger in his eyes, but they were still glowing fiercely and locked onto Kagome's face. "Something that you remember..."  
  
"I didn't..." she shook her head fiercely, tugging at Inuyasha's hold and refusing to look down at him.  
  
Inuyasha growled at her, interlocking his fingers with hers and pulling her inexorably forward until he could bring up his other hand and catch her chin in a hold that was so soft she almost couldn't feel his fingers against her skin. However, the look in his eyes and the promise more or less vibrating off him was warning enough to show he would not tolerate her attempting to move away. When he locked his eyes on hers and pulled her nose to nose with him, he enunciated very concisely, "What the fuck did that monk do to your hip, Kagome? Don't disobey me again."  
  
Kagome's heartbeat started thundering in her ears, apprehension lancing down her spine at the overly soft growl compared to his eariler yelling. She was trapped and they both knew it, "Si-"  
  
"Don't," he interupted, his voice a quick flat bark that had her mouth snapping shut in instant reflex. Growling very softly in satisfaction that she'd finally listened to at least one command, he arched one brow in challenge. "Answer me, Kagome. What did you lie about?"  
  
"It's nothing!" she whispered desperately, her free hand lifting to circle the wrist of the hand holding her chin. "Really! It's a bruise like Shippo said."  
  
Miroku winced and Sango shook her head in disapproval, speaking before the hanyou could, "Kagome-chan... We know it's not true. You wouldn't act like this over a bruise."  
  
Inuyasha released her chin and Kagome let out a shaky breath as he rose up on his haunches in front of her. His eyes bored into hers for a long, tense moment before he released her hand to take hold of her waist and stand her up with him. She tried to push his hands away, but he simply lifted his brows and she subsided meekly. Under his unblinking stare, her hip started to burn and throb uncomfortably.  
  
Kagome sucked in a breath sharply when she saw a streak of confusion penetrate the rage on Inuyasha's face. His eyes went to hers and then down, and to her her horror, his hand moved from her waist down to cover the scar.  
  
His eyes narrowed sharply for a moment as he looked down at his hand and then up to her face, "A pulse...The fucking scar has a pulse, and it doesn't match yours...."  
  
Kagome closed her eyes, wishing the ground would open up and swallow her, anything but this.... "Inuyasha, I-"  
  
Whatever she'd been about to say was lost when he slipped his hand beneath the bottom of her shirt to slip his claws to the waistband of her jeans and pull. She let out a muffled shriek when she felt the thick denim slice under his claws effortlessly, trying to twist herself out of his hold.  
  
Inuyasha caught her waist again, his eyes blazing as he roared down at her, "What the fuck did he do to you, Kagome?! Why does that scar have a fucking PULSE?!"  
  
She shook her head, her mouth opening and closing before she just squeezed her eyes shut, biting down hard on her lip as tears leaked from beneath her lashes. Her hands were on his wrists, but they were just squeezing lightly, her strength draining out of her with a rush of despair. Her voice was barely a whisper as she let her worst fear slip out, "You'll hate me..."  
  
And just like that the rage drained out of Inuyasha, only to be replaced with bone-deep fear.  
  
Those words in that tone of voice scared him as nothing else could. His hands at her waist tightened and pulled her forward, sliding around her back to enfold her in a tight embrace. He used one hand to press her face to the crook of his neck, stroking it soothingly through her hair when she obeyed his direction and clung to him almost desperately.  
  
Kagome's hands clenched in his haori as she sobbed silently against his shoulder, the tears hot against his neck as he dropped his head to murmur reassurances in her ear, "Shh, Kagome, don't cry. Please don't cry, you know I can't stand to see you do it. I would never hate you..."  
  
Miroku blinked, unsure of what had happened to alter the mood of the moment so quickly, but leaning forward, he nudged the hanyou and silently motion for him to take Kagome back to their room. He was feeling much the same as Inuyasha, now worrying at what Kagome could possibly think was so terrible that she had kept it from all of them for fear of bringing his hatred down on her head. What could she possibly think had happened that was bad enough, serious enough to make Inuyasha hate her?  
  
Inuyasha nodded, bending slightly to scoop the girl up and cradle her protectively to his chest as he turned and crossed the distance to the raised walkway in one leap.  
  
Shippo was beside himself with worry, scrambling along at Inuyasha's feet as he re-entered the room, still murmuring softly to Kagome as she wrapped her arms around his neck to keep her face hidden at his throat. When the kit opened his mouth to speak, Inuyasha scowled at him and shook his head, motioning for him to sit down and stay still as he eased down to sit cross-legged on the floor himself.  
  
His arms wrapped around more securely, tucking her onto his lap as his sleeves covered most of her shaking body. Ears flattened back in concern, he continued to whisper to her as he rocked her back and forth gently and waited for Sango and Miroku. The monk and exterminator came inside a moment later, sliding the door closed as they silently thanked whatever miracle hadn't brought the entire household down on their heads. Brushing that inconsequential thought aside, they crossed the room to the hanyou and arranged themselves on the ground across from him. Their eyes were solemn and expressions tense as they watched Kagome's silent crying.  
  
Inuyasha looked down at Kagome, moving one of his hands to urge her face away from his neck so he could meet her eyes before he repeated softly, "What did he do to you, Kagome? You can tell me and I won't hate you. I promise."  
  
Kagome's hands tightened and she shook her head as tears continued to track silently down her cheeks as she stammered out, "I... didn't know! I swear I had no idea, Inuyasha!"  
  
"Shh, it's okay, Kagome," he stroked a thumb over her cheek, brushing off the tears as he reassured her, even as he tried without much success to tamp down the fear that was steadily rising in him to choke out the anger simmering deep inside him. "What didn't you know?"  
  
"I didn't see it until I woke up the next day," she closed her eyes and breathed out in a rush, trying to hide her face against him again. "When I saw it I remembered there was this buzzing sound and everything was so hot, but I didn't know what was happening. You have to believe me!"  
  
Inuyasha felt sick at all the possibilities racing through him, but at the same time, so angry that someone had caused this kind of terrible fear in his Kagome that he wanted to rip something apart, most specifically the cause of her distress. He had to get the problem out of her before his own thoughts sent him over the edge...  
  
Careful not to show her the anger his imaginings were kindling, he schooled his face into what he hoped was a mild expression and assured her in as calm a voice as he could manage, "I believe you, Kagome. It's all right now, I won't let anything happen to you again. Just tell us what happened so we can help."  
  
Kagome closed her eyes and hid her face against his neck again, whispering so softly Miroku and Sango leaned forward and strained to hear the words, "It won't go away. He knew! I don't know how he knew, but he...he said he was expecting me, and-"  
  
Inuyasha frowned when she cut herself off, feeling her hip give a particularly strong pulse and a twinge of heat. Concerned and more than a little suspicious, he carefully eased his hands away from her back. Still managing to hold her with his arms, he slid his hands down to where he knew the scar was located. Gently, he used one hand to ease the bottome of her shirt up and the other to tug at the split he'd made in her jeans until the thick fabric moved aside to give him a clear view of her scarred hip.  
  
Sango leaned forward when she saw the first sign of dark red, her eyes narrowed grimly at what they might see. When Inuyasha's hand moved the fabric completely out of the way, she went still, her eyes widening slowly as she gasped, "What... the hell-?"  
  
Miroku was staring silently, his expression both startled and grim, while Shippo leaned up to see for himself and then promptly jerked back with a surprised squeak, all but plastering himself to the silent monk.  
  
Inuyasha, however, had gone perfectly still as he stared down at her hip in wide-eyed disbelief. He could feel Kagome shaking against him almost violently now, curling up in his lap as the breath froze in his lungs and his stomach clenched as thought he'd just been run through.  
  
A tattoo... That goddamn monk had tattooed Kagome's hip right where the Shikon jewel had been ripped forcefully from her body when he'd first met her.  
  
His name. 


	13. When the mind speaks...

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to the absolutely fabulous Rumiko Takahashi...  
  
A/N: Oi! LOL, okay I get the hint, I'll keep updating a chapter a day barring any unforseen circumstances as I have no desire to be hunted down and throttled or have super creepy OOC or IC guys after me!!(Chira-chira and Aileen, this means you! lol)... And I don't want InvisibleRain or anyone else going absolutely insane. Akara even saying she wanted to draw fan art! Oi, maybe I really should make a webpage...  
  
*Arienaihodo!!!* 244 reviews!! ::faints::  
  
Once again, I am LOVING all my reviewers(especially my repeaters) and it's killing me to see people who's stories I love reading giving me such great compliments. Like Lazuli and alandrem to name a couple...Not saying there aren't a LOT more, but if I took the the time to list everybody, I'd run out of room for the fic! I've been emailed by several people like Lina and Smarty Cat and I absolutely adore it, they're so very complimentary. Damn, there goes that blush again! LOL  
  
At any rate, we now have, what I suppose you could call a minor situation. Inuyasha is staring down at his own name tattooed on Kagome for unknown reasons by a complete stranger. So what's a hanyou to do? ^_~  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: When the mind speaks...  
  
  
  
Inuyasha felt dizzy.  
  
And a little nauseous, truth be told...  
  
He could honestly say without a glimmer of doubt that in his entire liftetime he had never experienced a feeling quite like the one he was having now as time stretched out in frozen silence yet again.  
  
For a long time, he just gaped down in dumb-founded facination, his eyes moving over perfect lines repeatedly. It almost didn't seem real to him, his hands resting in dark contrast to her pale skin with his claws not even an inch away from the crimson mark. The symbol almost completely covered the scar left previously by the centipede youkai, curved slightly to follow the natural line of her body.  
  
When his mind finally started to process information again, it was impossible to hold any one thought for longer than a few seconds. Everything was tumbling through his head at high speed, nothing making sense as he struggled to pull the thoughts apart into single threads rather than the chaotic swarm playing hell with his mind. Finally after what seemed like ages, the tangle began to unravel and let him form solid, though still completely confused, questions.  
  
Just what exactly was one 'supposed' to think when staring down at his own name permanently engraved into the flesh of a girl he had protected with his life on numerous occasions only to have the stubborn girl refuse to admit she belonged with him?  
  
But why the hell would a monk, a complete stranger, from the future tattoo 'his' name into Kagome's hip? And how had this monk known who he was? And why had he tattooed it specifically over the Shikon scar? Was this the source of everything that was happening to her? It had to be the source of the subduing spell at least. But this suggested the spell had been designed for him specifically rather than in general as he and Miroku had discussed previously.  
  
Wait... why the hell hadn't Kagome come out and told him about that thing from the very start? After all it was HIS name, dammit, he had a right to know it was there!  
  
Kagome flinched when she felt the silent rumble vibrate through Inuyasha's chest. The hanyou was growling all right and his hands on her flesh had been incrementally tensing. In reflex, she tried to burrow herself deeper against his chest to avoid the storm preparing to come crashing down around her head.  
  
Inuyasha was vaguely aware of the cautious expectancy in the watchful faces around him, scowling and pulling Kagome even tighter against him as he instinctively tried to shield her from view. His eyes gleamed dangerously as he let the most basic animal instincts pour through him, and those instincts were telling him that THIS was something private.  
  
His hands shifted to get a better grip on the shaking girl as he uncrossed his legs and rolled up to his feet in a single fluid motion. Inuyasha spared his startled companions a hooded glance and spoke in a soft, flat monotone, "You will excuse us."  
  
He didn't give them a chance to respond, moving across the room silently to awkwardly open the door with his shoulder rather than releasing the girl in his arms. As soon as he managed to slide the door open, he used every ounce of speed he was capable of producing to distance himself from the human household for the familiarity of the forest.  
  
Miroku's brows drew together in concern as he went to stand at the door, looking out into the night the direction the hanyou had gone. Sango joined him immediately, casting a quick glance up to his expressionless profile before she hesitantly asked, "You don't think he'll hurt her, do you?"  
  
Miroku's face filled with very real surprise, "Hurt her? Sango-chan, in all the time you've known him, has Inuyasha ever done anything to suggest he would even consider such a thing?"  
  
"Well... no," she answered slowly. "But...but this is not something any of us expected! I don't even know what to think, and Inuyasha... It's 'his' name! How is going to handle to that?"  
  
Miroku reached out and set a hand on her shoulder, "Have some faith in our friends, Sango-chan. I have a feeling Inuyasha will take this better than you or Kagome-sama suspect."  
  
"I hope you're right," Sango murmurmed, her eyes sweeping the darkness in a futile attempt to locate the pair. Her thoughts had been sinking dangerously into despair and fear for her best friend when they were rather abruptly snatched back to the present by an umistakably familiar hand rubbing over her breast. Her eyebrow twitched and she swallowed the urge to scream and pound his head into the wood. They had given the poor household enough screaming for one night and there were other ways of dealing with a lecherous monk...  
  
Sango took hold of his wrist, digging her fingers into his tendons and twisting to flip the shocked monk over her head and flat on his back. She pressed her foot to his throat threateningly as she massaged her aching head with her fingertips, "Houshi-sama, is it too much to ask that your hentai crap be put on hold until we straighten this out?"  
  
"I can promise nothing," he answered, somehow managing to look calm and composed from his prone position.  
  
"That's what I was afraid of," she stepped off him, only to make her way to where she'd left her weapon and return just as calmly to knock him over the head.  
  
Sango didn't notice little Shippo sneaking out the open door as she dragged the unconscious Miroku to one of the futons.  
  
**  
  
Inuyasha didn't stop until the only things he could hear or smell were wild forest.  
  
His eyes searched the surroundings for the perfect spot, settling on one of the massive trees before he leapt up to a high, wide branch and sat down. Bracing his back against the trunk, he repositioned Kagome as best he could with her refusing to release her death grip on his haori.  
  
Taking in long, deep breaths, he let the tranquility of the evening soothe away some of the tension that had gripped him in the suffocatingly human house. He could never get comfortable in a stranger's home as the others seemed so capable of doing, but more importantly, now he had Kagome alone and he wouldn't have to worry about being interupted.  
  
His senses all focused down onto the girl huddling in his lap like a terrified child, his chest rumbling in an instinctive effort to soothe her enough to speak. She had managed to tuck in on herself smaller than he ever thought she would be capable of acheiving, the scent of her fear an unwelcome, heavy twinge to his senses. Very slowly, he moved one hand away from her hip, sliding it up her back and around to her chin. Cupping her face in his hand, he leaned back so he could tilt her face up to search her eyes.  
  
Kagome was still shaking, her face pale and her eyes wide as they focused on him. There was a mix of sadness, regret, fear and longing in those expressive eyes as tears continued to seep slowly down the soft curve of her cheeks.  
  
It was an combination Inuyasha hoped he would never have to see in her again after tonight.  
  
His heart lurched painfully at the sight, and keeping his own face carefully blank in an effort to ease her fear, he again brushed away the tears on her cheeks with his thumb. He did his best to pour every ounce of calm he was capable of faking at the moment into his touch, adding that to the possessive protection that flowed through him naturallly whenever he thought of someone hurting her.  
  
That fucking monk had done this to her, caused this depth of pain and fear that he hadn't known the girl was capable of displaying, a depth she should NEVER display under his care. And the sight of it brought all of his protective instincts rushing to the fore.  
  
He could give into his banked anger later, but now was definitely not the time.  
  
When some of that debilitating fear eased out of her scent and the trembling had died down as well, he demanded quietly, "Why didn't you tell me about this, Kagome?"  
  
Kagome's brows scrunched together and up with uncertainty at the disapproval and censure he'd been unable to keep from his voice. Her fingers flexed against the muscles of his chest, but she couldn't convince herself to untangle her death grip on his clothing.  
  
Disgusted with herself even more at her clinging, she bit her lip, worrying it with her teeth as she mentally berated herself for her idiocy. 'Of course he's angry, you baka, you knew he would be! How would you feel if you found your name tattooed on someone? He probably thinks I'm some obsessed lunatic! Oh God, he's never going to want to look at me again...'  
  
He could see her thoughts skating over the surface of her eyes unpleasant enough to dull the vibrant blue to muted gray. Kagome's own thoughts apparantly just as confused and scattered as his own, only for a different reason. He didn't know how he could tell she wasn't being purposefully silent, but there was something in her scent and in her eyes that told him she just honestly didn't know 'how' to answer.  
  
For some reason she was afraid to speak, and that was not going to work. He needed her to talk to him, to tell him what was going on in that head of hers so he could fix it. How could he calm her down if he didn't know what the hell was making her so afraid in the first place?  
  
Kagome swallowed painfully, starting to look away from the intensity in his eyes, but a slight change from the soothing rumble to a warning growl stopped that action and brought her eyes tenatively, but obediently back to his own.  
  
"Why, Kagome?" he repeated, his brows lifting to encourage an answer as he gave her chin a light squeeze.  
  
"I... I was scared," she wet her lips nervously, her fists clenching into a white-knuckled grip as her eyes again filled with tears. "I knew...you'd be angry. And...and I didn't want..."  
  
Inuyasha blinked several times in surprise, cocking his head to the side and frowning in genuine confusion, "Didn't want...?"  
  
When Kagome let out a small whimper and slammed her face back into the curve of his neck, Inuyasha let out a grunt of surprise. His eyes widened as he tenatively began to stroke her hair with the hand that had been on her face. She was shuddering again, her lips moving against his throat in a nearly silent chant. His brows lowered as his ears strained to catch the words even as a light blush stained his cheeks, trying to "feel" the words as well.  
  
He frowned and then sighed heavily when he made out the words "I'm sorry" over and over again.  
  
'Scared...' Inuyasha looked down at the tattoo, his eyes narrowing. That couldn't be right, though, what reason would she have to be afraid to tell him? She knew she couldn't have possibly taken care of this mess on her own, so why didn't she tell them everything as soon as she knew? Didn't she trust him enough?  
  
"Tell me," he couldn't stop the the angry scowl that thought brought to his face, and from the way she tensed, he knew she was well aware of the anger still simmering just below the surface. "Now, Kagome. I can't help if you don't tell me what you were scared of."  
  
She shuddered once and then slumped bonelessly into him, the fight apparantly just too much for her to sustain with her emotional exhaution. Her hands still held him just as tightly however when she answered him in a flat whisper, "I didn't want you to hate me when you saw it."  
  
He tried to stop himself, but the first thought that came to mind turned into the first thing out of his mouth, "God, Kagome, don't tell me you put us all through seven kinds of hell over something that fucking stupid!?"  
  
Inuyasha's lip curled in annoyed frustration when felt the tears against his neck again, and he let out a heavy sigh as he mentally berated himself. 'Okay, so maybe she did. Great going, Inuyasha, she's fucking crying all over again. Can't you say anything that doesn't make her do that?'  
  
He urged her face back away from his neck to frown down at her, "You thought I would hate you for this?"  
  
Kagome let out a watery, humorless laugh, her eyes filled with self- disgust. It took her a long moment to get herself under control before she managed to get out her answer in a voice devoid of any real emotion, "I've got your name tattooed on my fucking hip, Inuyasha. Don't you think that's just a 'bit' too personal for me to be stupid enough to let happen just because I was drunk. You must be angry..."  
  
"Of course I am!" he barked out at her easily, sighing when he felt her flinch and saw the hated tears well up in her eyes yet again. "Not because of the fucking tattoo, you idiot, because you lied to me! I asked you if something else happened that night and you said right to my face that I knew just as much as you did. Damn, you don't honestly think I'd hate you because of something you couldn't have helped, do you?"  
  
"But it IS my fault!" she snapped out, her voice breaking at the last word. "You said it yourself! If I hadn't been drunk-"  
  
"He probably would have found another way to do it," Inuyasha finished in a growl.  
  
"YOU said that it was my fault!" Kagome returned, a spark of anger coming to life in the midst of the despair. "If I hadn't gone out with them, or if I had you with me-"  
  
"And you said he was expecting you!" he yelled back, covering his relief at seeing her return of spirit. "This bastard had the whole thing plotted out, Kagome, so there's no point in blaming yourself over it! Now why the hell didn't you show this to me the first time you saw it?!"  
  
Kagome was taken aback at that, blinking up at him in confusion as her eyes searched his, "You...seem to be taking it well..."  
  
"Like hell I am!" his hands moved to her waist, lifting her up and twisting her so that her legs straddled his lap. Glaring down at her, he squeezed lightly with both hands, the one closest to the scar carefully placed to avoid the mark.  
  
"That it's... your name," she clarified, blushing a bit at the position he'd put her in, even if it was only so he could glare at her face to face.  
  
Inuyasha snorted, turning his head to the side as his expression abruptly altered to arrogant indifference, "Keh, better that than something else."  
  
Kagome's mouth opened in disbelief as she whispered, "God, you... can't be serious..."  
  
He turned back to her, brows lowering, "You're trying to avoid the real problem."  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?" she reared back, stopped when his hands turned to hold her back and keep her still. "This IS the real problem!"  
  
"The real problem is that you tried to fucking keep this from me," Inuyasha growled at her. "I asked you over and over if something else happened and you looked right into my face and lied to me. How am I supposed to know what we're dealing with if you don't trust me enough to tell me about this shit?!"  
  
Kagome sucked in a breath sharply when he dipped his head enough to hide his eyes behind his hair. 'He thinks I don't trust him?' Kagome felt her stomach knot, closing her eyes even as she freed one hand and brought it up to cover her pounding heart, 'Oh God, what have I done?'  
  
"Why were you afraid to tell me? Kagome, you know that I'll protect you, but I have to know what's wrong!" Inuyasha's hands fisted in the back of her shirt, unable to completely disguise the hurt in his gruff voice.  
  
"Inuyasha...," her shoulders had slumped in resigned defeat. She had to make him understand, and to do that she was going to have to swallow her pride and explain. "I...didn't want you to see it, but not because I didn't trust you!"  
  
Inuyasha shook his head, one hand releasing her back to cover her hip, "You thought I'd blame you for what happened."  
  
Kagome leaned forward, lifting a shaking hand to his cheek, "If 'I' blame myself for it happening, how was I to know you wouldn't too? I tried to imagine what I would do if it hadn't happened to me and I just didn't know! I...I didn't trust myself, Inuyasha, it wasn't you. And you HAVE been blaming me for being drunk, why not this?"  
  
Inuyasha opened his mouth, but clamped it closed again to think about how he could respond to that, 'All right, I can see where she might have thought I'd do that. I HAVE spent the time since I found out about the drunk thing lecturing her about it, but this...this isn't the same type of situation! Doesn't she understand that at all?'  
  
He leaned his face against her hand, taking some comfort in hearing that she trusted him, "This is completely different, Kagome. I'm not blaming you for it being there, just for not telling me about it."  
  
Her jaw tightened, but she couldn't hide the slight quiver in her lip before she bit down on it to stop the tell-tale action and whispered, "It isn't any different. You were right, Inuyasha, and I was so determined to have a normal life in my time that I wasn't thinking."  
  
"I won't argue with that," he gave her a smirk when her head snapped up, eyes blazing angrily at him.  
  
"You pompous sonofa-"  
  
Inuyasha leaned forward and brushed a light kiss to her forehead, shutting her up as effectively as if he'd clamped a hand over her mouth. While she sat there gaping, obviously unsure of how to respond to that spontaneous action, he tugged her up against him, urging her with a hand on the back of her head to rest her face against his neck again. When she followed the silent direction, he dropped his chin to her head and let out a heavy sigh.  
  
"You're upset-"  
  
Kagome answered with a rather inelegant snort that brought an amused smile to the hanyou's lips.  
  
"SO, I won't lecture you tonight," he continued, unperturbed by the interuption. "I have to think and you need to sleep. Don't misunderstand me, Kagome, I am still angry... Fuck it, I'm pissed as all hell that you hid this for so long and lied to me about it." She opened her mouth, but he tightened his arms around her to show he wasn't finished and she quieted.  
  
"But Miroku was right," Inuyasha grimaced at admitting that. "If we're going to figure this out we both need to calm down. I don't want you scared of me."  
  
Kagome waited a moment to be sure he was finished before she nodded to show she understood and tried to push away from him.  
  
Inuyasha glanced down at her, "What are you doing?"  
  
"You said that you need to think and I need to sleep," she answered softly, not sure if she should be relieved or terrified at that thought. He was far from finished with the subject, but... She needed to think too, especially about Inuyasha saying that his name was "better than something else." He hadn't once yelled about it being his name, just that she hadn't told him. Did he really not care that it was his name? Then what DID he think?  
  
"So what are you doing?" he repeated, leaning back and looking for all the world like he didn't intend to move from that spot anytime soon.  
  
Kagome felt her cheeks heat and dipped her head to hide it, "So I'm going to find my way back to the house and go to sleep."  
  
Inuyasha grunted, pressing on her back to all but flatten her against his chest before he wrapped both arms around her waist, "You'd get lost."  
  
"I would not!" she sputtered indignantly, turning her head in an effort to glare up at him.  
  
He lifted a clawed hand to her lips and looked down at her with an unreadable expression, "Go to sleep, Kagome."  
  
She just stared up at him for a moment, her blush returning full force as she squeeked out, "Here? Like this? With...you?"  
  
"Aa."  
  
"But-!"  
  
His eyes glittered brightly as he pressed her face back down and stroked her hair, "If you're about to say 'indecent' might I remind you of what exactly is tattooed on you?"  
  
"Oooh," she growled out, her hands fisting.  
  
"K-Kagome?" the hesitant cry from down below cut the budding arguement short as Inuyasha leaned over with Kagome to look down at Shippo's upturned face.  
  
Inuyasha growled, but Kagome's eyes filled with concern, "Shippo- chan?"  
  
He inched forward nervously, grasping the trunk as though he was dying to climb up to them, but unsure if he'd be welcome. It was his fault she was so upset, but he hadn't known the bruise was Inuyasha's name! He wanted to apologize, but...his eyes drifted to where Inuyasha was glaring at him as though he'd rip the kit into little pieces if he tried to come closer.  
  
Shippo swallowed bravely, valiantly ignoring the hanyou as he started to growl louder, a blatant 'suggestion' to make himself scarce. He just had to make it right again, "Kagome, I'm sorry!"  
  
Kagome automatically responded to the worry and fear in the kit's voice, holding out a hand for the kitsune baby. Shippo was just a child, after all, it was important to reassure him that none of this had been his fault... "It's all right, Shippo-chan," she murmured softly.  
  
Shippo let out a delighted shriek, racing up the tree to perch on the wide branch beside them so fast that even Inuyasha was surprised, "You're not mad anymore?"  
  
Inuyasha's brows lowered dangerously when the kit hopped closer and reached up to take Kagome's outstretched hand. He wanted them to be alone, dammit, not with the little brat clinging to her and distracting them! The growl was joined by the baring of fangs, but Shippo just frowned up at the hanyou, getting bolder with Kagome's attention.  
  
Excited that she really wasn't angry with him, he shot forward, squirming his way under Inuyasha's sleeve and vanishing under Kagome's shirt to curl up in a little ball on her bare stomach, "I was so worried!"  
  
Kagome blinked down at the Shippo-lump in surprise, pressing a hand to his head through the fabric, "I'm sorry, Shippo, I was never angry at you."  
  
"Oi, brat, get the fuck off her!" Inuyasha's hands tightened on Kagome and he tried to knock the kit loose. "This is serious!"  
  
Kagome caught hold of one of Inuyasha's wrists when he reached for Shippo, her eyes full of her guilt at the kitsune's fear, "Please, Inuyasha?"  
  
Inuyasha set his jaw for a moment, his ears flicking forward and back before he grumbled in defeat and gave a short nod, "Keh."  
  
She gave him a brilliant smile, leaning forward to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him on the cheek, "Arigatoo."  
  
He tried to brush that aside gruffly, but his hands were gentle as he shifted her slighty to one side to keep Shippo from getting smashed between them. He could already tell the kit had nodded off curled up under her shirt and he sighed as he wondered how anything could fall asleep as fast or as often as the little kitsune.  
  
Before she could lay her head on his chest, he caught her chin in his hand and tilted her face up again, "And don't kiss me like that at night."  
  
Kagome's face fell and she felt that nervous knot retie itself in her stomach, "I'm sorry... I just got carried away and-"  
  
Inuyasha's mouth over hers swallowed what was left of her stammered words, lingering warmly until he felt her practically melt in his embrace. With a low, satisfied grumble, he pulled away and pressed her back down before he murmured, "Do it like that."  
  
She was confused and he could tell she was trying to work herself up to what could very well be a million questions that he didn't want to answer just yet, so he cut that possibility off before it could start, "Sleep, Kagome. We'll talk in the morning."  
  
A blush stained Kagome's cheeks at the soft command in his voice and she dropped one hand to the Shippo-lump as his arms tightened around her. She leaned her head on Inuyasha's chest carefully, half expecting him to change his mind and push her away. He couldn't be serious about this... Sleeping here, practically wrapped around him?  
  
But after several long minutes where Inuyasha did nothing run his hand through her hair with long, slow strokes, she felt her body begin to relax against him. His warmth seeped into her, making her that much more aware of how drained she felt, and the steady heartbeat against her ear only relaxed her further. It wasn't long before her eyelids were drooping despite her best efforts to stay awake and think as he was obviously doing.  
  
It didn't help either that she could feel Shippo purr against her stomach in his own form of unconscious comfort and without thinking, one hand slipped down Inuyasha's chest to gently rub Shippo's head through her shirt. 'At least I have one on my side no matter what,' she thought affectionately, as her thoughts turned impossibly sluggish.  
  
"Oyasumi nasai, Inuyasha," Kagome whispered out as her eyes finally closed.  
  
Inuyasha waited patiently until he felt her breath even out and her heart slowed to the steady pace of slumber. The moment he was certain she was asleep, he shifted her slightly so he could move one hand down and bare the tattoo to the moonlight. He stared down at the dark lines, letting his thoughts amble about on their own as he tried to settle on how he DID feel about the tattoo being his name. He scowled at himself, 'What the fuck am I supposed to feel?'  
  
'Okay, so... what would my mind tell me about this if there was nothing else to worry about?' Inuyasha sighed thoughtfully, attempting to sort it out a different way.  
  
He was momentarily distracted when Shippo grunted in his sleep, curling into a tighter ball as his little hands appeared at the hem to tuck it more securely around himself. He cocked his head to one side, his chest moving slightly with silent laughter. With Shippo bunched up like that, Kagome almost looked pregnant.  
  
He brushed that observation aside, trying to ignore why that thought made him smile and refocusing on the tattoo. 'So what does my mind tell me? How do I feel about Kagome being tattooed with my name?'  
  
Inuyasha expanded his focus, frowning at his lack of self-control when he realized he was again looking at the round curve Shippo made of her stomach and that tattoo at the same time. Dawning comprehension went through him when his mind finally answered the question he'd been asking it.  
  
'About fucking time.' 


	14. Knowledge is only half the fun...

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and co belong to Rumiko Takahashi....  
  
A/N: Heh heh, sorry, minna, I know my thought processes can be complicated and confusing, but don't worry, it's all part of the show... Let's take a minor break from the whole intensity thing for a little bonding, shall we? Still important to the story mind you, just a little softer side. Inuyasha and Kagome need to have "The Talk." ^_~  
  
Particular thanks to Calendar for the wonderful review, it's one of my favorites to date! DEFINITELY give me more like that if you feel so inclined. ::giggle:: I just love it, especially since I have no editor or spellcheck for that matter and sometimes my brain goes faster than my fingers. ::sigh:: Such is life. And to Hikaru Tsuki for telling me that the characters are all "performing" well, that's one of the things I've been worried about most. I think that some of em do get a bit OOC, but I hope it's coming through in the portrayal for everybody the way it's working in my head.  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Knowledge is only half the fun....  
  
  
  
"Inuyasha, you're being completely unreasonable!" Kagome hissed at him, her cheeks still flushed as she cast a glance back to the highly amused faces of Miroku and Sango.  
  
She couldn't think of anything that could have been more embarressing than waking up to the sounds of badly-muffled hysterical laughter, only to find herself tangled so hopelessly around Inuyasha that she'd had to wait for the horrid sounds to rouse him as well before she could even move.  
  
While Shippo slept on, dead to world under her shirt, she'd managed to crane her head down to find Sango and Miroku on the ground below. They'd brought along her pack, but that had carelessly been dropped in what she imagined was their current laughing fit. They had their hands clamped over their mouths, peering up at her predicament without the slightest hint of sympathy for her plight.  
  
Kagome had been whispering down to them, pleading for quiet but threatening all sorts of retribution and only managing to set them off more. Their amusement had prompted her to attempt to extricate herself from the hanyou, but the more she tried to shift about and escape his hold, the tighter the sleeping arms became. She'd given up on getting free on her own, glaring down at the pair before shaking Inuyasha's shoulders and calling him name to wake him up.  
  
Inuyasha had taken his time about it too. She knew the moment he woke when he ears started to twitch, flattening down and then turning first to her and then towards the source of the laughter. Yet he still sat there, eyes closed and fully aware of her situation, pretending for a while that he couldn't hear the pair down below them. She'd given into the urge and brought her knee into his kidney with as much force as she could muster from her tangled position before he finally cracked one eye open and looked down at her and then Sango and Miroku with his most bored expression.  
  
Then he'd taken a ridiculously long time stretching, quite a trick considering he hadn't taken his arms away from her waist the entire time, just shifted his position, tensing and untensing his muscles when they both knew it was all for show. But finally he gave into her growled demands, though not quite in the way she had hoped.  
  
Without warning, he simply kicked one leg over the branch so that he was seated on it rather than straddling it and rolled off. Kagome shrieking, the action nearly stopping her heart and reflexively she wound her arms tightly around his neck and renewed her grip on his waist with her legs. That is, until he landed with effortless silence on the ground and gave her what could only be described as an evil grin before taking his arms away from her completely.  
  
Unfortunately for her, by letting go and folding his arms casually behind his back, the chuckling hanyou had effectively given their friends a perfect look of just how tightly she was clinging to him on her own.  
  
And that bastard had the audacity to grin about it when the others hit the ground laughing all over again.  
  
She'd distangled herself from Inuyasha so quickly it was a wonder she hadn't ripped his robes off and taken them with her, her face so red it looked as though she'd been staked out in the sun for weeks. But just as she was forming an angry tirade to cover her embarassment, Shippo just had to ruin her ability to yell at the hanyou in a timely manner.  
  
The baby kitsune happened to choose that precise moment to slip out from under her shirt and make his way to her shoulder, complaining he was hungry and could Kagome please make him breakfast?  
  
All in all, it was the most singularly embarassing morning of Kagome's life and, if the proud look on his face was any idication, one of Inuyasha's most satisfying.  
  
For him it had only gotten better, but for Kagome, it went from bad to worse.  
  
Directly after breakfast the hanyou was moving them out back towards home, but setting them at a sedate pace that normally would have driven him out of his skull. The reason became obvious when after they had barely begun walking, Inuyasha grabbed Kagome's hand and began to recite, "The Rules."  
  
It certainly didn't help her sanity or their amusement that he spoke clearly enough for Miroku, Sango, and Shippo to hear every word.  
  
"You disobeyed me, Kagome, and it's not going to happen again," Inuyasha said calmly, still leading her along behind him with his hold on her hand. He briefly wondered if she was even aware she had interlocked her fingers with his on her own, but decided against mentioning that. "You put yourself in danger and that is completely unacceptable," he squeezed her hand to emphasize his point.  
  
"Until we sort this out, you will not be out of my sight, regardless of the circumstances," he glanced back at Sango to reinforce that particular rule, grunting when he noticed the exterminator was looking at them both with a look that was at the same time pitying and ridiculously amused. Shaking his head and grumbling about nosy companions, he turned back to Kagome's blushing face, "I'm keeping you right where I can reach out and grab you so that nothing like this has a chance to happen again. I've done a shitty job of protecting you and that's going to stop."  
  
She looked at him in surprise at the fierce determination in his voice, 'Does he... think he's responsible?'  
  
"Once we've gone far enough for today, you and I are going to sit down and you're going to tell me what happened that night from start to finish," he continued brusquely, yet his thumb was absently stroking her hand and distracting her to no end. "No more secrets. At all. That means all the things from your time too. I want to know everything so we don't get any more nasty surprises."  
  
Kagome set her jaw when she heard a strangled sound from Miroku, glaring straight ahead and refusing to acknowledge the priest, "You wouldn't understand everything in my time, Inuyasha."  
  
"I'll learn," he shrugged nonchalantly, pulling her forward to wrap his arm around her waist and bring her to his side. "You understand it, so how difficult could it be?"  
  
"Have I told you yet this morning how much I'd love to strangle you?" she gritted out, wondering if her face was going to be permanently red because of the hanyou's confusing behavior. She had never blushed so much in her life!  
  
He just patted her shoulder and smirked, "I'll keep it in mind."  
  
Kagome responded by sticking out her foot and tripping him, ducking under his arm as he went down. She gave him an irritated huff and kept walking, trying to ignore the renewed laughter of her friends behind her, with one new voice mixing in.  
  
**  
  
True to his word, the moment they stopped for the night, Inuyasha was standing in front of Kagome, his hand outstretched, "C'mon, Kagome. We have to talk."  
  
"Can't it wait?" she gave him a hopeful look from her rather comfortable spot on the ground.  
  
Inuyasha was already shaking his head before she'd even finished the sentence, "I put it off all day so we could think about it, but I need to know what happened. I'm not letting you get possessed again, and the sooner we figure out what caused it, the sooner we can fix it."  
  
Miroku took that chance to interject, having regained enough to control to give her his perfected solemn expression, "Kagome-sama, this is a very serious situation. You should not challenge Inuyasha's request."  
  
Kagome gave into her urge to kick the priest in the shins for his wording, glaring at him when he winced and gave her a "what did I do?" look. Kagome's expression darkened and she growled out, "Miroku-sama..."  
  
Sango took pity on her friend, catching the priest by the ponytail and dragging him backwards, "You go on ahead, Kagome-chan, we can handle things here."  
  
"Ite ite, Sango-chan, my hair!" Miroku wailed as she carted him away from the two staring rather blandly after them.  
  
"Better than you head," she was grumbling back at him. "Let them sort it out, you brainless hentai, Inuyasha doesn't need that kind of help."  
  
"You can be so cruel," he feigned a hurt look that was completely ignored as the exterminator released him to drop unceremoniously onto his head.  
  
Kagome sighed, shaking her head and turned back to Inuyasha to slide her hand into his, "You're right. I think we should leave them alone for a bit."  
  
"Keh," Inuyasha sent a disgusted look to the sprawled priest and turned to hoist Kagome onto his back. "Fucking lech."  
  
"Be nice, Inuyasha, he's not really a bad guy," she scolded lightly as she climbed on, inwardly groaning. This could only mean this was going to be one of those "private" talks where he bounded off away from everyone else for an indeterminate distance, "Do we have to go so far away?"  
  
"No interuptions this way," he shrugged, leaping off into the trees.  
  
"Great... Lucky me," Kagome's lips quirked in annoyance, but she offered no other complaints. She HAD been putting this off...  
  
"Don't make me say it," he warned softly but she could hear the smile in his voice.  
  
It didn't take a genious to figure out what put it there, and she made a face at the back of his head, "You've been dying to say that to me, haven't you?"  
  
He shrugged as he came so a stop in a rocky section of the woods, casually looking over the terrain for a suitable seat as he responded, "What? You mean use your own threat against you? Fuck, yes."  
  
"Sometimes I think you're enjoying this mess too much," she tugged on his hair, smiling when he grunted, and turned his head to avoid another pull.  
  
"Some of it," Inuyasha slid her off his back and walked to a large boulder that had been worn smooth from time and the elements. He took her by the waist and lifted her onto it, letting his hand move down to lightly stroke the tattoo before he pulled away and took a few steps back. "The rest of it though, absolutely not. Those are the parts we need to fix."  
  
She rolled her eyes, "So you don't want me to find a way to break the subduing spell?"  
  
He smirked at her, baring his fangs briefly with a glint in his amber eyes, "Now why the hell would I want you to do a silly thing like that, hn?"  
  
Kagome's brows rose and her voice went dry as she leaned over to give his rosary a tug, "If I'm stuck, then so are you. I abolutely refuse to be the only one of us with a subduing spell."  
  
"Fair enough."  
  
"You can really be an ass, you know that?" she laughed softly, releasing the beads and sitting back.  
  
"And you can be a stubborn bitch," he shrugged, but smiled to take the insult out of the words. "But I didn't bring you out here to expand your vocabulary. Remember, part of our agreement is that you tell me the whole story."  
  
"Agreement nothing," she wrinkled her nose and gave him a light kick in the thigh, more to convey her irritation rather than actually hurt him. "You said that when you were rattling of your new set of 'rules' for what I can and can't do."  
  
"For your protection," Inuyasha reminded her with a frown. "But I can always add to the list if it becomes necessary. I still haven't forgiven you for lying to me, but it's a lot more important to keep you safe."  
  
"Inuyasha, you could drive me absolutely insane if I let you get to me," Kagome rubbed at her temples as she tucked her feet up beneath her on the smooth boulder.  
  
"How would you act?" he snorted, folding his arms over his chest and leaning against a nearby tree. "Honestly, Kagome, if you were in my place, what would you do?"  
  
She paused at that, looking off into the woods to give the question some real consideration before she shrugged and answered candidly, "I don't know."  
  
"Don't you think you'd be more than a little concerned if I'd been possessed and you didn't know why? Or how?" he arched one brow in question.  
  
"Damn, I hate it when you make sense," she growled under her breath. "I never thought one stupid spell would bring out this side of you."  
  
Inuyasha smiled affectionately at her disgruntled tone, "Who knew? Start talking, Kagome. Fill in the holes for me."  
  
Kagome rolled her eyes, leaning back as she obediently recited, "My friends came over the night I went back and wanted to take me out, so I went. I didn't think they would really set out to get me drunk."  
  
"But they did," he commented, his chin lowered towards his chest and his eyes closed, but his ears were perked in her direction. He gave every impression of being deep in thought, and he was definitely listening carefully.  
  
"Hai, they did. And before you puff up, it was just girls. They might be a little short-sighted, but they aren't stupid enough to mix in boys with a girl they just got drunk," she shot him a look when he opened his mouth, but that was apparantly just what he needed to hear. He closed his mouth with a faint blush riding his cheeks and grumbled at her to go on.  
  
Kagome's lips twitched faintly and she nodded, curling her knees to her chest so she could fold her arms over them and rest her chin on her forearms. "So I was drunk and everything was like a blur. I don't remember where we were but I felt this strong magic pulse and I wandered off to check it out. I know, I know, it wasn't smart..."  
  
"I didn't say anything," Inuyasha pointed out, earning himself a speaking glare. "All right, I was thinking it," he admitted with a rueful smile.  
  
Satisfied with the honest response, she nodded and looked away again before continuing, "I found a shrine, and I remember thinking it was bizarre because it was so old and it was in the middle of the city."  
  
"And you went in."  
  
"It was like a compulsion," Kagome's brows furrowed thoughtfully as she spoke. "I can't remember the monk's face, just that he had... marks, tattoos all over and he was bald. He looked surprised to see me, but then he smiled and said he was expecting me."  
  
Inuyasha started growling at that, bristling at the thought of the monk and the gamut of emotions that Kagome had been run through since this incident, "Expecting you... you said that before."  
  
"He gave me a cup of tea and from there everything is even fuzzier," she went on as though she hadn't heard him, her eyes introspective. "All I remember is this tingling feeling and hearing a buzz. But the next thing I can remember is being out in the street like I'd never left. My friends didn't even seem to realize I'd been missing and when I looked around the magic and the shrine were just...gone. It wasn't until I was about to shower that I saw it. I was wearing a bandage."  
  
Inuyasha was silent for a long moment before he inquired, "Is that all?"  
  
Kagome blushed and turned to look at him, "I felt the magic in it when I touched it. It got stronger when I did that, and that's when it started to...pulse."  
  
He nodded, leaning his head back against the tree, "All right. So... you touching it had to be some sort of activation if that's when the magic started, and then when you came through the well you heard me yelling and that set the word."  
  
"That's about it," she agreed easily. "Kaede told me that there wasn't any way to reverse it if it was a tattoo and that a spell worked into something like that pretty much made it permanent."  
  
Inuyasha grinned at that, turning his head down to look at her irritated face, "So if yours is the tattoo, I suppose this means I'm really not losing my necklace any time soon, hn?"  
  
"No chance in hell, Inuyasha," Kagome gave him a dry glare.  
  
"Didn't think so," he let his smile fade as his thoughts took a more serious turn. "Did he say anything except that he was expecting you?"  
  
She thought about it for a moment and shook her head, "No, nothing else."  
  
"Damn," he frowned, scowling in frustration. "It just doesn't make sense."  
  
"No kidding," Kagome snorted in disgust.  
  
"I still don't understand why you didn't tell me about this sooner," he looked back in the direction they'd left the rest of the group, his ears flicking in that direction momentarily as though caught by a stray sound.  
  
"I answered that already," her shoulders tensed a little.  
  
"But you didn't have to be scared," Inuyasha frowned at her, his eyes showing a glint of confused hurt before he covered it with subdued anger.  
  
"Hell, Inuyasha, what was I supposed to do?" Kagome let her own temper rise to meet his. "It's your name!" she growled out, before she fell back into a moment of uneasy silence.  
  
Inuyasha waited patiently, watching her profile as the muscle in her jaw starting jumping with strain. It was clear that she wanted to say something else and he had a pretty good idea what it was going to be.  
  
"You haven't even said how you feel about it being your name," she blushed, looking away from him self-consciously.  
  
Yep, definitely what he'd been expecting.  
  
"Kagome," he kept his voice low, but couldn't help the scowl that touched his features when a light touch of fear entered her scent again. "Dammit, bitch, quit getting scared everytime you bring up that thing!"  
  
"I can't help it, okay!" she rounded on him, her hands fisting tightly, her eyes shimmering with the threat of tears. "This has turned my whole fucking life upside-down, Inuyasha, don't you understand that!?"  
  
Inuyasha shook his head, unfolding his arms and crossing the space seperating them before giving her a nudge to indicate he wanted her to make room. When she slid aside, he perched calmly and looked off in the same direction she'd turned her own gaze, "It isn't that bad."  
  
Kagome turned back with the most disbelieving look he'd ever seen, "Not...that...bad...?"  
  
He dropped his hand down between them, tapping a claw on her jeans over the tattoo, "How long has it been? That you and I have known each other?"  
  
Confused by the abrupt change in topic, she frowned and gave him a suspicious look, 'I'd almost rather have the immature jerk I'm used to. Who knew Inuyasha could be like this? But...the touching is nice...' she cut off that thought when she felt her cheeks start to warm.  
  
Finally she just cleared her throat and shrugged, "About two years, why?"  
  
"Do you spend more time here or in your time," Inuyasha continued, fighting the urge to smile again when her eyes filled with annoyance.  
  
"Here, but that's-"  
  
"Is there a man there you like being with?" his brows lowered at that thought, moving his hand away from her hip.  
  
"Well, no-"  
  
"You said years ago that you wanted to be by my side, has that changed?" his expression relaxed, but only slightly. He held his breath as he waited for her answer this time.  
  
The blush she'd been able to keep down broke free of her control to flood her cheeks, and she dropped her gaze as she answered quietly, "No."  
  
Inuyasha smiled gently, sliding an arm around her shoulders and tucking her against him, "I have one more question, Kagome, and I need you to be honest."  
  
Kagome was nervous at the complete gravity in his voice, swallowing a lump in her throat and nodding, "A...all right..."  
  
"Is it that you were tattooed that bothers you or is it that it was my name that was tattooed on you?" he tilted her chin up with his thumb to look down into her eyes. "Tell me the truth."  
  
Kagome's eyes widened, leaning back in surprise, "I...I hadn't even thought-"  
  
Inuyasha's own expression was carefully blank, "Think about it now."  
  
She looked away from him, her hand going down to her hip as she chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully. Inuyasha's hand had moved to her arm absently rubbing from shoulder to elbow in a soothing motion, but there was an odd tension radiating off him that brought a frown to her face. He was waiting, and apparantly not very patiently.  
  
Kagome let out a heavy sigh, ignoring everything around her so she could focus on the loaded question he'd just dropped on her. She'd been so determined to hide it from them, so concerned about his reaction that she'd never thought about her own. Was she that worried about her own feelings? No...  
  
She lifted a hand to her mouth as she had a rather humbling revelation. No, she'd just never had to think about it because she'd already known how she felt about it, and she didn't have the heart to lie about that. Not when it sounded so important to him.  
  
"That I... was tattooed," she answered him quietly, closing her eyes as she waited for how he'd respond to that.  
  
She vaguely heard the quiet rumble in his throat as he pulled her close enough to drop his chin on the top of her head, "You belong with me, Kagome. Whatever else, you have to know that. Stop trying to do this on your own... Let me take care of you."  
  
Kagome slid her arm around his waist, biting down hard on her lower lip when she felt her throat tighten and tears well in her eyes happily. "I think I do know," she mumbled into his chest.  
  
"Good," Inuyasha rumbled in satisfaction, unable to stop the smile that had pulled at his lips when he heard her answer. "Then my name on you will only help me keep you safe..."  
  
However he was unable to tamp down the nagging suspicion teasing the back of his mind. It had been so difficult getting anything at all out of her about this, was it possible she would still try to hide more? "Is there anything else that you need to tell me about all this, Kagome?"  
  
Kagome shook her head, unwilling to bring up the disturbing voice so close on the heels of explaining everything about that night, "Not yet."  
  
"But you'll tell me if anything happens?" he pressed, a low note of command leaking into his voice.  
  
"Hai," she promised softly, letting her eyes drift closed again. 


	15. When the world is sleeping...

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and co belong to Rumiko Takahashi....  
  
A/N: I know some of you are concerned with a couple characters who have thus far remained absent from this story. Oi, be patient! You're getting ahead of the story by a chapter or two! There are some messy issues coming up, cause this really isn't a completely happy fic, you know. Aaaand for everybody who's concerned with Kagome's behavior...I'd be lying if I said I wasn't delighted. I can't give away much more than that without spoiling my own plot though, so you'll just have to wait and see how it works out.  
  
Once again, I am truly a happy evil puppy, BUT... I am a happy evil puppy who loves each and evey one of her reviewers and really isn't trying to drive any of them insane. I do have to give my utmost, heartfelt thanks in particular to the great critiques I've been getting. After all, you never get better unless you have help with the weak points of your work. I appreciate them more than I can say! ^_~  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: When the world is sleeping...  
  
  
  
'I think I am doomed to a life of sleeping in trees,' Kagome sent Shippo an apologetic look later that evening when Inuyasha wrapped an arm around her waist and leapt up the the branch he had been sitting on all evening. "You've got the sleeping bag to yourself tonight, Shippo," she leaned over to smile affectionately down at the confused kitsune.  
  
Shippo blinked up after her, "Are you sure?"  
  
"Of course I am," Kagome pinched Inuyasha when he snorted derisively.  
  
Inuyasha yelped in surprise and frowned at her, "What was that for?"  
  
"If you're mean to Shippo I'll say it," she glared at him and murmured low enough for his ears only. "I don't care if it takes us both down, it'd be worth it."  
  
Inuyasha's brows lifted and he made a show of leaning over to gauge the distance between their perch and the ground before make a sound suspiciously like a woof and closing his eyes. Kagome just shook her head, turning back to Shippo's curious face, "It's okay, Shippo-chan, just go to bed."  
  
Shippo still looked a bit confused, but with a shrug he turned to her bedding and proceeded to tuck, fold, and twist the sleeping bag into a little nest of sorts. He burrowed down inside it, tucking himself in and yawning hugely. He stretched lazily, calling a soft good-night to Kagome and inhaling her comforting scent in the bedding before nodding off with the speed only baby animals are capable of.  
  
In the meantime, Inuyasha had settled himself comfortably and was in the process of tucking Kagome into the cradle of his lap. He yawned, actually tired for once, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her back to his chest before rubbing his cheek against her hair, "Go to sleep."  
  
Kagome's eyes were drawn to the knowing expressions on Sango and Miroku's faces and her spine stiffened, "But-"  
  
"Stay," Inuyasha grumbled out sleepily, smiling against her temple when her legs relaxed and she started swearing beneath her breath. "Don't worry about it so much," he freed one arm to lift her chin and plant a quick kiss on her surprised mouth. Yawning much like Shippo had done once he released her and wrapped his arms securely around her again. "Now sleep," he tucked her head beneath his chin.  
  
Kagome sat, her eyes wide and thoughts racing. 'Okay, so we've...ah- modified our sleeping arrangement, it's not like we're doing anything wrong...' She glared down at Miroku, getting an encouraging smile in return that had her ducking her face against Inuyasha's chest, "I should have kicked him higher."  
  
She knew for sure the hanyou was asleep when that muttered comment failed to get a reaction out of him. Sighing, she tried to slowly lean away from him, shifting her legs as the feeling returned and easing him arms down.  
  
Inuyasha growled in his sleep, his arms tightening as his chin moved down to her shoulder. She jumped in surprise when she felt his tongue glide once over her skin before he closed his teeth around the tendon at the juncture of her neck and shoulder.  
  
Kagome froze, her mouth dropping open as her heartbeat sky-rocketed and her stomach immediately started doing flips. The hold wasn't painful in the slightest, just enough pressure to hold her still and make her well aware of just what was on her neck. But it wasn't just the action that startled her.  
  
It was really her own reactions to it were what made her cheeks darken and her breath hitch in her throat. Something about the feel of his mouth on her neck made her just want to close her eyes and melt back against the hanyou; made her want to reach up an rub his soft ears just to feel that low rumble go through his chest...  
  
It was Miroku's muffled laughter that returned her to some semblance of reality just as her hands had started to creep up to Inuyasha's face. She was grateful for the darkness hiding her startled, guilty expression when the monk called up to her, "Ah, Kagome-sama, Inuyasha is a dog, after all. And he is obviously more than a little fond of you..."  
  
"If you don't stop laughing at me, Miroku-sama, I swear to God I'll throw my shoes at your head!" she kept her voice quiet in respect for Inuyasha's sensative ears, but the glare she shot down to the priest was one of her most effective to make up for it.  
  
He held up his hands in a show of peace and turned his attention off into the night, although she could tell his shoulders were still shaking with amusement. She debated the difficulty of actually getting her shoes off to throw while attached to an unnaturally strong hanyou who was acting more like a sleeping puppy and not showing any signs that he would be letting go in the near future.  
  
Judging from the contented rumble coming from his chest like a purr, the same one she'd wanted to hear earlier at the thought of rubbing his ears, Kagome couldn't help but doubt if he would move at all until morning. Miroku was forgotten as she became aware of the steady heartbeat against her her back, the strong throb melting away her tension by slow degrees.  
  
Sighing as she decided it couldn't make much difference, she lifted one arm to reach up and stroke the ear that met her searching palm. In response, Inuyasha tilted his head ever so slightly closer to her and let out a deep sigh. She could have sworn she felt his mouth curve as she relaxed and let sleep drift over her.  
  
But whether that was real or imagined, there was a smile on her own lips as her eyes slid closed and she whispered, "Damn you, Inuyasha. You really are just a big dog, aren't you?"  
  
***  
  
'Ah hell, not this again,' Kagome growled as she became away of the hazy landscape that she'd been in once before. Her last "dream" with the strange voice, and it was no less welcome now than it had been then, 'Go away!'  
  
'Don't shut me out, Kagome.'  
  
Her head snapped up in alarm, and she began searching the thick fog a little frantically. The voice was a LOT stronger this time, the words actually filling her senses instead of just appearing in her mind as they had before. 'What's going on? Where did you bring me?'  
  
'Calm down. It's imperative that you listen to me this time.'  
  
'I'll bet it is,' she shook her head, backing away from the direction she thought she heard the voice the strongest from.  
  
'You can't ignore me forever, miko.'  
  
'That's what you think,' she reached up to cover her ears. After all, it had worked once, it could work again, right?  
  
Hands, real solid hands caught her wrists from behind and held her arms away from her, sending a wave of fear through Kagome so strong that she froze immediately. She began to shake, cursing herself over and over for not telling the others about the voice. Was it planning on killing her now? She had no way of fighting back like this...  
  
'I can't let you ignore me. I am trying to tell you that we- I don't want to hurt you,' the voice was right behind her, so close that the words sent chills racing down her back.  
  
'Let go of me!' Kagome's voice was hardly above a whisper, stretched taut with her fright.  
  
'No. Not until you listen to me.'  
  
'What do you want!?'  
  
'I have to warn you. I knew it would happen, but we had to risk it for your safety.'  
  
Everything was spinning, the haze dimming and brightening as it curled around her, 'Knew what would happen? What did you do to me?'  
  
'Don't talk, just listen. When we made a path to open your soul, there was brief period of time when you were vulnerable. We had no idea what kind of reaction your body would have to the -ah...ink we used to mark you. But the latent power in you is remarkable and it's twisting the spell.'  
  
'You can't possibly be trying to say this is all my fault?' Kagome tugged at the hands sharply, only to wince when their grip increased.  
  
'Not everything and not directly. Like I said, you were vulnerable and certain... persons are trying to take advantage of that,' the voice changed to a low hiss, obviously frustrated at her attempts to pull away. 'It is very dangerous for you right now, so you must trust me!'  
  
'Not a fucking chance,' her eyes blazed as fear melted into anger.  
  
'Damn, you're a stubborn miko,' it muttered in her ear before raising again, imperative and full of authority. 'Don't you understand what could happen? This is something that would not only kill your body, it would destroy your soul! Do you want to be trapped in limbo forever?'  
  
'YOU did this!' Kagome twisted violently, but the feel of the hands followed easily. 'I didn't ask for this! For any of this! Who are you? What the hell are you trying to do to me?'  
  
'I'm trying to get your help in his matter for one thing. I already told you that I mean you no harm, and that's all that you need to know of me. All I need from you now is for you to listen very carefully and do exactly as I say.'  
  
'I'm sure,' her lips twisted bitterly.  
  
'This is important, miko.'  
  
'Get out of my head!'  
  
'Not this time. You WILL listen or I will keep you here, do you understand me?'  
  
Kagome was silent a moment and finally swore beneath her breath to demand, 'What am I supposed to listen to?'  
  
'The safest place for you right now is with your hanyou.'  
  
'Oh that's fucking perfect... Even in my dreams I'm getting Inuyasha lectures!' she started tugging again. 'I get enough of this outside my head, the last place I need it is inside too!'  
  
'I am NOT your hanyou and I am not lecturing! I am telling you what you must do in order to stay alive!' the hands tightened to the point of pain and Kagome fell to her knees with a muffled cry. 'Your magic is twisting the spell and the closer you stay to that hanyou, the less dangerous the repercussions should be! Stay close to him, because for some reason his aura has a dampening effect on the other magic trying to connect to you.'  
  
'If Inuyasha can stop it, then just who is behind this other magic, hn? And what are THEY trying to do as opposed to you?' Kagome hissed, her eyes closing as she tried to ignore the numbness sweeping through her arms.  
  
'We don't know and that's what we're trying to figure out. Until I do, you must try not to use your magic unless it's necessary and unless you want some serious damage to yourself, don't leave your hanyou's range of spirit.'  
  
'Don't use-? Why the hell can't I use my magic?' she demanded.  
  
'I can't take the time to explain everything right now, but you're...absorbing energy from the sources around you. With your hanyou, he bears you no malice and neither do you wish to harm him... You are unconsciously balancing yourself against him. But if you leave that aura, you will be open to receive and absorb others. If you use your magic, your soul will collect more from the others that are now sensative to you in order to replace what it is using up. The consequences-"  
  
'This is absolutely unbelievable,' she shook her head to cut him off, her mind reeling with confusion. 'What the hell were you trying to do to make THIS happen? And where did it go wrong?'  
  
'Don't misunderstand my intentions, miko,' the hands relaxed enough that she could feel her blood begin to circulate again. 'I was only attempting to make things clearer for you. We had to make certain you would be protected in order to fullfill the demands of fate.'  
  
'Congradulations, whatever the fuck it was you did succeeded in making everything more confusing than ever,' Kagome ripped her arms free, a bit surprised when the hands actually let go. 'And apparantly it's trying to eat my soul or something. What is my so-called fate that I need to deal with this?'  
  
'I can't tell you that, but the distortion in the magic is why I had to see you. If you were killed because of the spell it would be unforgivable. Whatever you do, do not leave your hanyou, do not use your magic, and for the love of the gods, do NOT get angry.'  
  
Kagome blinked in the direction of the voice in disbelief, 'You've got to be kidding me. I'm so pissed off right now I can barely see straight.'  
  
'Try to control yourself.'  
  
Kagome snorted, folding her arms over her chest, "Keh."  
  
'I am serious, miko, if you don't follow my directions there is no telling what could go wrong.'  
  
'You should have thought of that before you went crazy with a tattoo gun,' she rubbed her wrists, grimacing when she saw them starting to turn purple and praying that didn't carry over to her body as she lifted her hands to her ears again to shut him out.  
  
'Gun?'  
  
**  
  
Kagome jolted awake with a sharp gasp, her hands pressing reflexively to her heart as she felt the heavy thud against her sternum. Panting, her eyes searched the darkness, but there was nothing to hint the cause of her nightmare. Almost nothing, she amended when she felt the discordant pulse at her hip followed closely by the dull throb in her wrists.  
  
She turned her hands to look at the abused flesh, grimacing at the bruises that circled the flesh like shackles. This was definitely going to get Inuyasha going, considering how pissed off he got when she was hurt.  
  
A shiver curled down her spine when the cool evening air touched her sweat-dampened skin, and Kagome started to curl into herself. She barely shifted her weight when she was reminded of Inuyasha's position at her back. He responded to the chill by tucking her closer to his chest, curling around her to surround her with as much warmth as he could. Just as she'd thought, his teeth hadn't moved from her neck in the least, but after that nightmare the contact was having a calming effect on her frayed senses.  
  
'Don't get angry, and don't leave my hanyou, hn?' Kagome's lips twisted in annoyance. 'Who IS that guy? Or is it a girl? And what in the world is this spell doing to me?'  
  
Whoever or whatever it was, if she could believe them, the spell had been for her protection, but they had used magic that wasn't totally compatible with her own. So what was it about the magic that had become distorted? And what did it mean that she was absorbing energy? Wouldn't Inuyasha had noticed if she was draining him?  
  
She let out a frustrated grunt, 'This is so confusing.'  
  
Of course Inuyasha would be absolutely delighted to hear that she was being encouraged to stay in his "range of spirit," whatever that meant...  
  
If he knew about it.  
  
She didn't have to tell him everything, did she? Granted for a moment there she'd been terrified of that voice and wishing Inuyasha was with her but she was still alive and for the most part unharmed. Maybe if she waited it would figure out what was going on and she could get it straightened out without having to worry the hanyou. He seemed to thrive off worrying about her, using that as the perfect excuse to practically hover over her until it drove her nuts. She had to admit that Inuyasha made her feel safe, more protected than she ever had before even if he could be an over-bearing jerk.  
  
Then again...why didn't she mind it more than she did?  
  
'Kagome, you have got a LOT of thinking to do...' she scolded herself even as her hand again crept up to stroke his ear. 


	16. Out of sight...

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and co belong to Rumiko Takahashi....  
  
A/N: Ooh, Kami-sama, I love all of you so much you have absolutely NO idea. It seems the more I write the longer and the better my reviews get!!! Especially the ones where you guys are giving me your concerns and thoughts and all that, it's SO flattering to know I've sucked you into my evil plot! LOL! Azurite, Calendar and aw heck, just about everyone in particular this time around gave me incredible reviews and Azurite even picked up on the time passage too...so just to clear up a little teensy issue with the school thing, you're right, she's in high school and she's almost completed, but for the sake of the story, school doesn't play a whole lot into it. She does spend a lot more time in that past lately and don't worry about the characters you've noticed are missing. Like I said, you guys are trying to jump ahead by a couple chapters!! ::giggle:: I can't say much about the behavior things without giving away my thought process, so just be patient and everything will come together.  
  
::Sigh:: my little sister took a look at my reviews and started laughing and telling me I should skip a day on my posting just to see what would happen, but as I have NO desire to be hunted down and strangled and since Melloss has sacrificed a little brother too me, I just don't think that'd be nice.... ^_~  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Out of sight...  
  
  
  
'This is less than encouraging,' Kagome glared darkly at the unblemished skin on her wrists. 'They were bruised last night, I'm positive of it! My face still has some from that battle, so why are these gone?'  
  
"Kagome, aren't you glad to be back?" Shippo took a flying leap off Miroku's shoulder to hers when they came into view of the Kaede's village and Kagome showed absolutely no sign of noticing whatsoever. Confused at the uncharacteristic lack of response, he decided it was his job to figure out what was going on, giving her cheek a light pat in favor of the faded bruises to get her attention. "We're home and you haven't said anything," he responded to the confused look on her face when she turned her attention to him.  
  
"Already?" Kagome blinked, refocusing on the scenery in surprise. 'Wow, I've been walking all morning and didn't even realize it...'  
  
"Oi, you're not getting sick, are you?" Inuyasha turned to look back at her suspiciously, his tone both worried and warning that he wouldn't appreciate her trying to hide that either.  
  
"No, no, I'm fine," her voice trailed off a bit absently, a slight frown setting on her face as she tried to collect her wayward thoughts. "I've just been thinking is all," she shook her head, seeming to shake off the distraction before smiling at Inuyasha. "I hadn't realized we'd made it back."  
  
He gave her an odd look, but nodded, reaching back to take her hand before he continued down the path. Shippo made a face at Inuyasha's head and turned his attention back to Kagome to poke at the little bruise on her neck, "How'd you get that?"  
  
Kagome turned bright red while Inuyasha whipped around to see what had caught the kitsune's attention. Seeing the blush on her cheeks, he followed the pointed finger to her neck and snorted, "Keh, that's nothing."  
  
"Oh dear God," she smacked her hand over her eyes, her cheeks even darker when she saw the arrogant smile on Inuyasha's lips before he'd fully averted his face.  
  
Miroku leaned over to whisper softly to Sango, "Inuyasha was being affectionate in his sleep."  
  
"Miroku-sama!" Kagome glanced back at him in irritation, a bit satisfied when they broke apart guiltily. "Do you mind?"  
  
Miroku's face filled with surprise and chagrin, "Ahh, Kagome-sama, you heard me?"  
  
"Of course I did," she shrugged and frowned at him. "Were you trying to be quiet?"  
  
Kagome was starting to get nervous when they just stared at her, even Inuyasha turning his head to give her a narrowed glance full of speculation, "Is something wrong?"  
  
Shippo just blinked at them with the same curiosity in Kagome's gaze, not understanding what was so bad about her hearing Miroku. "I heard him too, Kagome," Shippo whispered to her, patting her shoulder reassuringly.  
  
She gave him a loving smile, turning her head to give him a kiss on the nose, 'My little champion.'  
  
Inuyasha gave her hand a squeeze and released it, motioning for her to keep moving with his head when she gave him a questioning look, "Go on. I just want to check something."  
  
Kagome shrugged and kept walking, idly scratching Shippo's head as Inuyasha fell behind, letting even the confused Miroku and Sango pass him. He'd heard Miroku just fine, but the level of his voice had been quiet enough that normal human hearing shouldn't have been able to pick up. But Kagome had heard it, and from what she said, it hadn't even sounded like she realized it was a whisper. Now that he thought about it, Kagome had been hearing things he had thought would escape her attention for almost two weeks. He wanted to test out if her hearing really had improved or if it was just some strange coincidence.  
  
Waiting until they were a fair distance ahead, Inuyasha dropped his chin and let out nearly silent bark. It was a sound common among dog demons, an unmistakable call for attention that only demon hearing could pick up. It was a call that only Shippo should be able to hear...  
  
Shippo and Kagome glanced back at him at the same time, their brows raised in identical expressions of inquiry.  
  
"Sonofabitch," Inuyasha whispered in surprise, coming to a complete stop as he gaped at the two of them, or more correctly, at Kagome.  
  
"Inuyasha, are you okay?" Kagome turned back to him in alarm when she saw how pale he'd become.  
  
Inuyasha shook his head and rejoined her quickly, lifting her chin as he studied her face intently, "Why did you turn around just then, Kagome?"  
  
She reached up, pressing the back of her hand to his forehead, her brow creased with worry, "You said something, but I couldn't make it out. Why?"  
  
"I think I need to talk with Kaede-baba," he took her hand again, pulling her onto his back and bounding off towards town.  
  
***  
  
Kaede stared down at the mark on Kagome's hip with a thoughtful expression, her gaze moving from it, up to Inuyasha, and back down to Kagome, "This is becoming a rather disturbing tale."  
  
"Can you think of any reasons for someone to do this, Kaede-sama?" Miroku hadn't taken his own appreciative gaze off the skin revealed from showing off the tattoo, his fingers flexing in his lap habitually.  
  
Inuyasha growled a warning when he noted the direction of the monk's gaze, wrapping an arm around Kagome's chest and pulling her back into him protectively, "What do you think, baba?"  
  
Kaede's brows arched at what seemed an almost instinctive motion on the hanyou's part, a faint smile gracing her lips, "There are any number of creatures that I can see attempting to enchant Kagome, however, one that would tattoo your name on her? That suggests the caster would know you and your relationship with her, but... I confess, I can't see what purpose they might have had."  
  
"How could it have happened in her time?" Sango asked in concern.  
  
"I'm right here, you guys," Kagome grumbled, fidgeting in Inuyasha's hold.  
  
Kaede was already back to mixing herbs over the fire, "The Shikon-no- Tama reappeared in Kagome's time, I believe that is proof enough that there is magic there as well. And as we are becoming aware, there are also dangers."  
  
"Is there any way to reverse it?" Kagome gave up on getting the attention of her engrossed friends and directed her own questions to the old miko. "Something that you might not have thought of before without knowing everything?"  
  
She shook her head, "I told you once before that when a spell is cast into something like a tattoo it cannot be undone. The symbol and the magic are etched deep into you."  
  
"Hear that, Kagome, you're going to have that spell the rest of your life," Inuyasha couldn't resist laughing when she went stiff.  
  
"Sit."  
  
"Stay."  
  
"It's worth it," she grumbled as she dropped into her seated position with Inuyasha slammed flat to the ground directly behind her. The arm on her chest had fallen around her waist, and she reached behind her to his prone form to flick one of his ears with her thumb and forefinger. She grinned when he gave a startled yelp of pain, "Don't be a jerk, Inuyasha."  
  
"Fuck, bitch, that hurts, you know!" he snarled up at her, lifting a hand to rub the offended ear.  
  
Kagome ignored him and made as grand a dismissal as she could while attached to the floor, turning her head and sweeping her hair over her shoulders to pointedly direct her attention back to Kaede, "Is there any way we can find out what it came from at least? Maybe we could figure out why it happened?"  
  
"Possibly, but it will take time," the old woman nodded sagely. "Perhaps you should take Inuyasha back to your world and show him where this occured?"  
  
"I would, except I don't know where I was," Kagome chewed on her lower lip and admitted nervously. She frowned, thinking for a moment before hesitantly offering, "I could ask my friends-"  
  
"And have you end up drunk again?" Inuyasha cut her off, currently trying to pry himself up off the floor. "Absolutely not."  
  
"If you came with me it wouldn't be a big deal, right? You said that if I go back you had to be with me," she glanced down at him, testing her legs to see how much mobility the hanyou had regained. "And you could see for yourself if there's anything that feels strange."  
  
He scowled, but the uncertain expression on his face proved he was mulling over the idea before he nodded, "All right. We'll go back in the morning, but you're sticking close to me. I don't want anything else going wrong."  
  
"Of course, oh great lord Inuyasha," she rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath.  
  
Inuyasha made a face and reached up to give her hair a tug, "And don't be disrespectful."  
  
"Mou, now you sound like my mom," she gave him a dry look and grimaced as she pushed herself to her feet. "I'm going to take a bath."  
  
"Not without me, you're not," he stood, arms folded and glared at her.  
  
Inuyasha was on the ground before he could blink, Kagome leaning over him as she shouted, "You pervert!! How dare you say something like that!?"  
  
He rubbed his jaw, a bit surprised at how proficient she was getting at throwing a punch, "Oi, I'll keep my back turned! But you're not going without me! Not Sango, me!"  
  
Kagome's hands fisted on her hips and she opened her mouth to yell again when unbidden, the voice from the dream was in her head repeating it's warning to stay in his range of spirit. She looked around at her friends but they had found various portions of woodwork around the room to become intensely interested in at the moment, offering no help whatsoever.  
  
She was feeling in the urge to stamp her foot like a five-year-old, but quelled it and instead gave a huff of irritation and grumbled, "Back turned."  
  
"Well, fuck, Kagome, you CAN be reasonable," Inuyasha grinned as he got to his feet again.  
  
"Don't push it," she set her jaw and stomped out of the hut.  
  
"Wait outside for just a minute," he called after her, silently hoping she'd listen even as he turned his attention to Kaede. "Baba, I have one question for you."  
  
"Only one?" she arched one brow dryly.  
  
"I don't have time to be joking," Inuyasha growled in annoyance. "This is serious. The spell was obviously designed to bind Kagome to me, seeing how it's my name and all, but is there a chance that it could be trying to do more than that? Trying to make some sort of... connection between the two of us?"  
  
Kaede let out a heavy sigh, "Inuyasha, there is no way I can tell what the creator of the spell was trying to accomplish. At this point there is a possibility for anything. I have no idea what's making you ask me that, but it is difficult with even Kagome being uncertain as to the exact details of that evening. We really can only wait and see what happens."  
  
Inuyasha's brows lowered dangerously, "That's not good enough."  
  
"I am sorry, but that's all I can do," she shrugged. "I will try to read into her this evening, but until then we must wait."  
  
"I'm going without you, Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled from outside, making the hanyou swear beneath his breath.  
  
"Read into her tonight, baba," he instructed even as he chased after the young woman, leaving a taut, uncomfortable silence behind him.  
  
***  
  
"This is so embarrassing," Kagome grumbled beneath her breath, keeping her eyes fixed on Inuyasha's back to make sure he didn't try to take a peek. "Is this really necessary, Inuyasha?" she reached for her shampoo, trying to make this the fastest bath in known history.  
  
"Not out of my sight, Kagome," he reminded, his ears flicking back in her direction even as she saw him shift his weight.  
  
She could practically see the stubborn look on his face, nose in the air and arms folded like a high and mighty lord, "I don't see why you couldn't at least wait in the woods with your back turned. You'd still hear me scream if I needed you."  
  
"Too far," Inuyasha shrugged. "If something happens I don't want to have to chase after you and maybe be too late to stop it."  
  
Kagome let out a heavy sigh, "Just remember, if I say it, you have to wait until I'm out of the water or you'll drown me."  
  
"I'm fully aware of that," she could definitely hear the laughter in his voice and had to bite her cheek to keep from giving in and letting him have it right then and there.  
  
Deciding to ignore him as much as she could, she went about the rest of her bath almost mechanically, her thoughts wandering aimlessly about. 'Okay, so, I'm hearing weird voices telling me that the spell went wrong and Inuyasha being close is keeping it from being TOO wrong... But if it's so anxious to tell me what to do, why not tell me the rest of what's going on?'  
  
She sighed, her gaze drifting over to Inuyasha in frustration, 'So how crazy would it sound to Inuyasha if I just spilled my guts about the whole thing? Would he even believe anything I said? Would I believe me if I were him?'  
  
The tattoo rather suddenly warmed, but instead of the searing heat, this time it seemed more comfortable. The muted pulse hummed through her, strangely relaxing the tension in her limbs and bringing her gaze down to the crimson mark curiously. "Are you ever going to make up your mind?" she whispered down at it in irritation, gingerly sliding her fingers over the lines.  
  
The pulse jumped beneath her fingertips just as Inuyasha called out, "What did you say?"  
  
"Just talking to myself," Kagome shook her head and hurried through the rest of the bath with her face averted.  
  
But with her face turned aside, she never noticed the way Inuyasha's head had turned... just enough so he could peek at her from beneath the shielding curtain of his hair.  
  
He didn't turn away until Kagome had finished dressing.  
  
***  
  
Kagome glanced nervously at where Inuyasha had just nodded off against the wall of Kaede's hut, "He seems to be doing that an awful lot lately."  
  
"Let him be for now, he could use the rest," Kaede shrugged, motioning for Kagome to sit in front of her. "We have more impotant things to deal with at the moment, do we not?"  
  
She nodded, grateful to Miroku and Sango for removing themselves earlier in respect for their privacy. Shippo had absolutely refused to leave, once again running up her shirt to hide when Inuyasha made a grab for him. He'd climbed higher this time though, pressing his ear to her heart before snuggling close and falling asleep. She kept her arm wrapped under her breasts to support Shippo's slight weight, rubbing his back in soothing circles.  
  
"You've become quite a mother to that little kit," Kaede remarked with a slight smile, laughing softly when a faint blush touched the young woman's cheeks.  
  
"I don't know about mothering," Kagome shook her head, but couldn't help smiling down at Shippo's sleeping form. "It's hard not to love him though."  
  
"Youkai take family very seriously, Kagome," she advised gently. There were many things the future girl didn't understand about this time, but she wasn't going to be able to ignore them forever, "As long as Shippo sees you as his mother, to him that's all that matters."  
  
Kagome fell silent, her hand on the kitsune's head through her shirt, 'As long as Shippo sees me as his mother...'  
  
"Give me your right arm, Kagome," Kaede broke through the girl's silent revere with the soft command.  
  
Nodding, she shifted her grasp to keep from disturbing Shippo and held out her arm, "Do you really think we'll find out anything this way?"  
  
"Perhaps, perhaps not," the old miko responded softly, her eye closed as she held her hand poised over the young woman's wrist.  
  
Kagome watched, nervous and hopeful all at the same time as Kaede's brows twitched with concentration, her hand moving over the girl's palm and then up her arm and back down to her wrist. To Kagome's amazement, a tiny spark of fire leapt from her wrist up to the miko's hand. She let out a soft gasp and involutarily tugged her hand away, "What was that?!"  
  
Kaede frowned sharply, her good eye narrowed on the girl's wrist. Shaking her head, she rubbed at her palm absetly before she answered in carefully measured tones, "A fox spirit."  
  
Kagome's mouth fell open and she shook her head, "I...I don't understand..."  
  
"There is a fox spirit covering the spell," she expounded on her first observation. "A very strong one. Whatever it is does not want anyone to see what it has done."  
  
"But the monk-"  
  
"May or may not have been real after all," she sighed wearily. "Kitsune's are changlings, as I'm sure you have seen from your time with Shippo. If the fox spirit is the creator of the spell, it could have made itself look like anything it wanted. If it is just a cover for the true creator, then again, it could have made you see what the caster wanted you to see and then used its magic to cover the tracks."  
  
"You're telling me there might not even have been a monk?" Kagome put a hand to her head, fighting a sudden wave of dizziness. "Damn, this is getting more and more confusing."  
  
"It's late," Kaede offered suddenly when she noticed the rising panic mingling with the confusion in Kagome's eyes and slowly coming to her feet. "I will ponder this tonight and we will speak in the morning. With Inuyasha."  
  
Kagome made a face, "That doesn't exactly settle my mind, you know."  
  
The old miko smiled gently, "I know, but he will need to know. As will your companions. Get some sleep, Kagome-sama."  
  
Kagome watched the old woman move to her own rooms in the small hut, a thoughtful frown on her face as she again stroked her hand down Shippo's back. "A fox spirit," she whispered to herself. "God, I need some air..."  
  
Carefully, she eased Shippo out from under her shirt, frowning when he whimpered and tried to reach for her in his sleep. She carried him to her nearby sleeping bag, settling him gently under the covering and sitting back. She frowned when he fidgeted, squirming around in search of her. Kagome reached for the hem of her shirt, casting the sleeping hanyou a quick glance to make sure he was still asleep before she pulled it up over her head and tucked it around the little kitsune.  
  
She smiled when he sighed happily and snuggled into the shirt still warm from her body heat before turning to find her pack and dig out a replacement. As soon as she'd smoothed the light cotton shirt into place, she stood and silently crept to the doorway of the hut.  
  
Kagome cast a quick look back at the two sleeping figures, biting her lip as her mind fought briefly with itself, 'Don't leave the hanyou's range of spirit.'  
  
She shook her head in annoyance at her own hesitation, "This is stupid. What could possibly go wrong?"  
  
Kagome turned and left the hut, inhaling the night air deeply as she stepped outside. 'The moon's bright tonight,' she thought, a bit surprised at how easy it was to see the forest in the moonlight. Curious, she stepped away from the hut and moved onto the familiar path from the village into the woods.  
  
Something was wrong...  
  
'No,' she corrected herself with a frown. 'Not wrong... different.'  
  
As she reached the edge of the forest, the tattoo flared to life, sending a pulse through her so strong that she nearly stumbled. With her hand pressed to her side, her brows lowered and she became aware of the heat sweeping through her blood, chasing away the slight chill of the evening. The sounds of the night were loud, nearly too loud in her ears, insidious whispers drifting in the back of her mind.  
  
Kagome frowned, a wave of restlessness moving through her, urging her to wander and clear the odd sounds from her thoughts. Confused, she shook her head and debated returning and waiting until morning. This couldn't be what the voice was talking about, could it? Was the tattoo causing her pain because she was away from Inuyasha?  
  
'That can't be it. I'm right, if I keep going it'll go away, just like it has before,' she set her jaw resolutely and kept walking, moving deeper into the woods and trying to ignore the increased throb at her hip.  
  
Once the village disappeared behind her, hidden by the trees, Kagome's attention was immediately ensnared by the feel of the forest. Her hand stayed at her hip, massaging lightly as she ambled along the path in wide-eyed curiosity. It was strange, but she could practically taste the life in the forest, heavy scents of earth and wild animals drifting though her senses. She could hear the leaves rustling as the animals of the night moved about, the sounds making it easier to ignore the whispers still running through her mind. It was as though the very essence of the forest was trying to wrap itself around her.  
  
'It's so peaceful,' Kagome thought in amazement, twisting this way and that as she searched the vibrant darkness of the woods, briefly closing her eyes to soak up the feeling of the air around her.  
  
She was so caught up in her observations, she was standing before the Bone Eater's well before she had even realized how far she'd come into the woods. Blinking in surprise, she stepped forward and set her hand on the rim of the well and peered down into the black void that carried her back and forth between times. Thoughtfully, she rested her other hip against the wood so she could continue to rub the painful throb at her tattoo. She was getting good at ignoring this kind of pain.  
  
'It looks so harmless and ordinary to be what it really is,' Kagome tilted her head to one side, her hand fisting on the wood. 'But what if I'd never come here in the first place? Never met Shippo or Sango or Miroku or...or Inuyasha...'  
  
Her heart clenched painfully in her chest at the thought and she shook off the thought quickly, 'No. I would never wish that. Whatever happens, I can't be sorry that I came through the well. I can't imagine what it'd be like if I'd never met them.'  
  
Kagome smiled, the throb at the tattoo easing slightly as she straightened away from the well and started to turn back, finally taking her hand off the tattoo to brush her hair over her shoulder. She'd barely begun to turn when searing pain shot abruptly and unexpectedly through her side, just above the tattoo.  
  
Shocked, she stumbled back, clamping her hand on her waist. Why above it?  
  
Something warm and sticky met her palm and she pulled it away to stare down at the dark stain on her hand. Her nose twitched, an odd copper scent filling the air, "Blood? Oh hell..."  
  
As soon as she saw the blood, the pain seemed to lance through her all over again, and with a soft cry, she stumbled back against the well. Her eyes searched the darkness frantically even as her other hand bumped into something foreign portruding from the side of the well.  
  
Her hand closed around it as a tremor of fear went through her, her eyes leaving the woods to focus on what she had grasped.  
  
An arrow... 


	17. Out of control...

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi....  
  
A/N: Heh heh, okay I know I'm evil, but whatcha gonna do. This is up early because InvisibleRain swore up and down that I would be sending her straight to the psychward if I didn't post it this morning. So for the sake of sanity, the last chapter isn't that much of a cliffhanger. See, I can be sweet sometimes! LOL I'm absolutely positive I'll be raising some brows with this one, but we're heading back into the intensity... ^_~  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Out of control....  
  
  
  
"Kikyou," Kagome hissed out through clenched teeth, feeling something dangerous curl in the pit of her stomach when her eyes finally found the undead miko standing in the shadows of the trees.  
  
Kikyou watched her expressionlessly from the treeline, another arrow notched in her bow and pointed at the girl standing before the well, "So it is only you."  
  
Kagome clutched at her heart when a pulse went through her painfully, doubling her almost in half as she sat abruptly on the edge of the well. The breath punched out of her lungs in a rush, but she fought the sensation, forcing her eyes to lift to the cold woman walking towards her as though she had all the time in the world.  
  
"W-what do you want, Kikyou?" she whispered, more afraid of the unexpected heavy throb overriding her own heartbeat than the miko. This was a sensation she'd never felt before, painful and terrifying as it tingled along her spine and began to spread through her blood.  
  
Kikyou stopped a few feet away from her, the bow and arrow held with pointed down with deceptive innocence. Her eyes narrowing as she stared at her reincarnation speculatively, "What have you done to Inuyasha?"  
  
Kagome's face filled with confusion, "What the hell are you talking about?"  
  
"Don't play games with me, Kagome," her expression shifted subtly to angry disapproval. "I came her because I sensed Inuyasha's aura fighting with others. I did not feel you. What have you done to him?"  
  
"You felt him? That's impossible," she shook her head, desperately trying to focus through the throbbing in her head. "Inuyasha's asleep. In the village. There hasn't been anyone here besides me at all."  
  
Kikyou turned her face aside for a moment, her fingers tightening on her bow, "I do not know what you think to gain by lying to me. You know you cannot win."  
  
'Oh shit,' Kagome's muscles tensed when she felt the air thicken with menace. 'She's going to try to kill me and no one will hear us until it's too late.'  
  
"I have wasted enough time on you," she turned back to face Kagome, her eyes cold again as she pointed the arrow at the younger woman. "If Inuyasha is not here than I do not need to worry about interruptions. You should leave him and the Shikon-no-Tama to its rightful guardian."  
  
"Kikyou..." Kagome pulled away, shaking her head in denial, the pulse intensifying with a vengence that again stole her breath. "You... you can't possibly mean to kill me here..." her voice trailed off as her mind grew hazy, blood pounding loudly in her ears as her vision blurred.  
  
"There should only be one of us," Kikyou responded in the same flat tone, her face blank as she regarded the obviously struggling girl. "I was here first and you cannot even control your own energy. You don't deserve to be the guardian of something so powerful."  
  
Kagome didn't answer, her hand sliding up to her own throat as it tightened painfully. Whimpering quietly at the pain that throbbed through her body with every pulse of the tattoo, she forced herself to look up at the miko's unchanged face.  
  
"Inuyasha will easily forget you," the barest hint of a smile touched her lips as she released the arrow.  
  
**  
  
Inuyasha's eyes snapped open with a start.  
  
He could have sworn he heard Kagome's voice, echoing a scream in his head...  
  
Panting, he slowly became aware of his surroundings, his eyes darting madly about the dark interior of Kaede's hut. "Just a dream," he whispered, wiping a hand over his face to brush away the fine layer of sweat and forcing his taut muscles to relax. "A fucking dream."  
  
He'd fallen asleep... Why the hell had he fallen asleep? He didn't need to sleep like humans did, so why was he suddenly so damn tired? He was starting to sleep like Shippo, he thought with momentary disgust.  
  
Inuyasha shook off the chill sweeping through him and turned his gaze towards Kagome's scent, but he froze the moment his gaze landed on Shippo. The kitsune was alone in her bed, wrapped in the shirt Kagome had been wearing earlier.  
  
Kagome was nowhere to be seen.  
  
Swearing so blackly it would have made the kit run in terror had he been awake, Inuyasha leapt to his feet. Anger and fear swept through him so quickly that the sensations nearly sent him to his knees, but he didn't have time to give into that weakness.  
  
Even more disturbing that the odd lethargy he was experiencing, was that thought that he woke when he heard Kagome's scream in his mind.  
  
Inuyasha's blood turned to ice in his veins.  
  
He had to find her.  
  
**  
  
Kagome stared dumbly at arrow portruding from her left shoulder, dimly registering the pain that swamped her along with the pain in the back of her head from where it had struck the rim of the well. Just like when the youkai had grabbed her, it was like she was looking down from outside herself, seeing the quickly spreading stain as though it was someone else. Her ears were ringing, her own heartbeat pounding through her, joined with a second pulse from the tattoo completely out of sync with her own, but slamming even louder in her ears. Her vision blurred as she lifted her disbelieving gaze to the woman aiming a third arrow at her.  
  
The twang rang clearly in the still night air, the arrow piercing Kagome's left side just below her ribcage. The force of the attack knocked her backwards even harder than before, her head cracking painfully against the well's edge as she felt the arrow penetrate through her flesh all the way to the wood at her back.  
  
Kagome bit her lip to hold back a soft cry as a wave of dizzying pain coursed through her body. She slumped back, lifting her right hand tenatively to touch the smooth shaft of the arrow in her side. Her eyes were wide and glistening with unshed tears as she looked up at Kikyou's unchanged expression, her mind a chaotic jumble of disbelief, pain and fear. On the heels of the pained sensation, her chin lowered to her chest, eyes drifting closed as her limbs went numb.  
  
Behind it all, however, a spark of rage came to life. Adrenaline poured through her veins, pushing aside the pain and the fear as the two heartbeats in her ears increased their speed with the rising strength of the most basic instinct.  
  
Survival.  
  
The blood had soaked her entire left side, dripping steadily onto the grass beneath her as the whispers dancing in the back of her head seperated and gained volume until Kagome could clearly make them out. It was a new voice, this one most definitely male, low and rumbling, and mocking her. The whispers were taunting, insulting, blocking every other sound as he whispered to her mind that she was too weak to fight the undead woman.  
  
What could she, a mere copy of the once great miko, hope to do against the restored original guardian of the Shikon-no-Tama? Kikyou was more powerful, more beautiful that Kagome could ever hope to be. Soon Kagome would be dead and Kikyou would claim her soul, and then she would reclaim Inuyasha...  
  
Beneath the shielding curtain of her hair, the skin beneath Kagome's eyes darkened to smoky gray, her lips pulling back off her teeth in a feral snarl.  
  
She should just give up. Kikyou deserved to reclaim her soul and return to her old life. The miko would absorb Kagome as though she had never existed, because Kagome would never be good enough to be the guardian of the Shikon jewel. She'd been the one to shatter it in the first place after all. She would never surpass Kikyou's power. And she would never be good enough for Inuyasha. Kagome was too weak.  
  
Kikyou walked forward calmly, her eyes on the blood that had almost completely soaked through the girl's strange clothing, "You are not strong enough to beat me, Kagome. I am the true guardian of the Shikon jewel, and you? You are only an imitation."  
  
Kagome shifted, welcoming the pain that clawed through her at the motion, using it to fuel the flames of rage sweeping through her, more potent and deadly than anything she'd ever felt before, "No..."  
  
Kikyou paused, the barest hint of surprise touching her features before she reached out towards the crumpled girl. With as much blood as she'd lost, she should have at least been unconscious, she thought with a displeased frown.  
  
Kagome's hand shot out to catch Kikyou's wrist in a bruising grip, wrenching the woman forward with unnatural strength and drawing a startled gasp from the miko. Head still bowed, Kagome gritted out in a cold, nearly silent voice, "I...am not...weak..."  
  
Kikyou was thrown backwards with a violent blast of energy, her body slamming into a tree with bone-jarring force and sliding down to the ground. Dazed, she looked across the grove with very real alarm twisting her features as she gaped at the bloody girl.  
  
A bizarre feeling of calm rushed through Kagome as she turned her attention to the arrows pinning her to the well. With her right hand, she grasped the arrow in her shoulder, ripping it out silently and dropping it to the ground. Then her hand moved down to the arrow in her side, her left rising so she could grip the shaft in both hands.  
  
Clutching the smooth shaft tightly, she wrenched her body forward with a grunt, freeing the tip from the wood and snapping the end off in the same motion. Kagome reached behind her, gripping the blood-slick tip and pulling the arrow through her body that way before dropping the broken remains as she had the first.  
  
Kikyou watched it all, her mouth slightly open in shock and trepidation at what she had just seen her reincarnation do. She regained her composure quickly, wrapping herself in her shroud of indifference as she shakily rose to her feet. The indifference melted away as silence stretched between them, Kagome kneeling motionless in the grass stained darkly with her life's blood. The miko stepped forward again, demanding angrily, "How are you doing this?"  
  
"I...am... not weak," Kagome repeated softly, her voice deepening as her hands clenched, blood dripping steadily from the three wounds. To Kikyou's amazement, she felt a flare of power around the girl, choking the air with the pure strength and rage in it.  
  
A faint curl of orange energy chased along the blood on the ground, followed closely by a second, this one deep violet. With every new drop of blood that struck the grass, a new streamer flared upwards, the glow alternating between the two vibrant colors and lighting Kagome's features from beneath. The light threw her features into stark relief in the darkness of the night, giving her a particularly demonic appearance.  
  
Kikyou frowned when the foreign energy she'd sensed before swamped the grove, the energy that her first drawn her out minus the feel of Inuyasha. Unbelievably, the massive energy was completely obliterating the feel of Kagome's own power. Her dark eyes darted along the ground until she found where her bow had fallen and she hurried to collect it, her gaze continually returning to the now silent girl warily. With her weapon back in hand, Kikyou quickly strung a fourth arrow and aimed at Kagome's heart. Better to get it over with now, before whatever that power was could become stronger or worse, before Inuyasha came looking for his precious little replacement for her.  
  
Kagome's hand came up almost mechanically, absently catching the arrow before it could pierce her chest.  
  
Kikyou sucked in a breath sharply, her eyes narrowing as her own anger grew, "This is impossible. You are weak... How are you doing this?!"  
  
Kagome turned the arrow this way and that, studying it as though it was a something she had never seen before, her eyes still hidden under her thick bangs. She clenched the fist holding the arrow, snapping it in half carelessly before opening her hand and dropping the splintered wood.  
  
Eyes closed, Kagome slowly rolled her body upwards in a smooth, fluid motion that was completely at odds with her battered appearance. Kagome looked peaceful, more composed than Kikyou had ever seen her.  
  
Kagome took up a casual stance while the undead miko stared, completely transfixed by the rather abrupt transformation in the young woman. And when Kagome's eyes opened, scarlet and glowing, Kikyou sucked in a breath sharply.  
  
A smirk twisted Kagome's lips as she lifted her left hand to absently touch the wound at her shoulder, looking down at the blood coating her fingers when she pulled the hand away, "You know... this hurts a little, you bitch."  
  
Kikyou strung another arrow, aiming carefully as she took a step back, "You... you have been possessed."  
  
Kagome tilted her head to one side as she regarded the tightness in the other woman's expression, "Not quite..."  
  
Kikyou shook her head, frowning in bemusement. The girl was vibrating with the same aura as a youkai, dangerous and violent as the orange and violet energy curled around her arms and legs sporatically, "I don't know what you have done to gain this power, Kagome, but I now have more reason than ever to destroy you."  
  
Kagome stood calmly, her bloody fingers lightly tracing over the vial of Shikon fragments at her throat while her other hand hung loosely at her side, "I will not die because of you, Kikyou."  
  
Kikyou's eyes narrowed and her lips compressed as she took aim, "You do not have a choice."  
  
She threw back her head and laughed, the sound hollow as it echoed through the night air. Kagome held up both hands, the violet energy flaring brightly around her hands and up her forearms, "Is that the best you can do, Kikyou?"  
  
"I have more than enough power to purify you," the miko replied with arrogant confidence.  
  
"I'd love to see you try," Kagome's smile filled with wicked delight as she rushed forward to attack.  
  
**  
  
"Dammit, Kagome, what were you thinking?" Inuyasha raced through the woods, following the wavering scent along the path to the well. "If you're trying to sneak back to your time-"  
  
Inuyasha's voice died in his throat and he snapped to an abrupt halt when a familiar and at the moment, completely unwelcome scent filled his senses. "Kikyou?!" he choked out, shaking his head as a frisson of fear streaked through him.  
  
Kagome had screamed in his mind and now he could smell Kikyou?  
  
"Please be okay, Kagome," he gritted his teeth and was prepared to race forward again when yet another scent reached him.  
  
Blood. A lot of it.  
  
"No..." Inuyasha went still, his hands fisting at his sides as his head dropped in denial of what his nose was telling him.  
  
Kagome's blood.  
  
Inuyasha let out a feral snarl and raced in the direction of that scent with a speed born of terrified desperation.  
  
**  
  
Kagome fist cracked into Kikyou's cheek, sending the girl crashing backwards yet again. Smiling in satisfaction, she wiped at her lips with the back of her hand to clear away the blood as Kikyou pushed herself to her feet. The undead miko stood dirty and disheveled across from her, her face grim and determined.  
  
"I can't imagine why I was ever afraid of you," Kagome sighed softly, again tilting her head to one side to regard the woman in malicious amusement.  
  
Kikyou had a hand pressed to her chest where Kagome had landed the worst punch, grimacing at the feel of cracked ribs beneath her palm. Whatever had hold of the girl was powerful, and it was feeding off her rage, making the girl unbalanced and unpredictable. In this state, Kagome was truly dangerous to her.  
  
She'd barely acknowledged the blasts she'd taken of Kikyou's purifying magic, but then... the foreign magic was hiding so deeply inside Kagome that it was repelling Kikyou's attempts with the natural barrier the girl seemed to have around her soul. Kagome could purify just as Kikyou could herself, and as she was quickly discovering, the more magic she used on the raging girl, the stronger the foreign magic surrounding her grew.  
  
Kagome's bloody clothes were ripped, her hair wild, and her wounds, old and new, still steadily dripping, but she stood completely unfazed across the grove. She set her fist on the least wounded of her hips, the tip of her tongue lightly touching her upper lip, "All these fucking years..." She shook her head in annoyance, her amused expression changed into one of disgust, "You're all talk, Kikyou."  
  
Kikyou was starting to worry. Whenever Kagome came close, she felt a pulling sensation, as though the girl's very aura was draining her energy and it was beginning to show in her labored breathing. Kagome's rage was just burning hotter, the force of her attacks incredible, and for the first time in ages, Kikyou felt a shiver of fear.  
  
"C'mon, bitch, you want me dead so badly?" Kagome slid down into crouch that was strangely reminiscent of Inuyasha preparing to spring. "I don't intend to make death easy for you this time around. Not with the shit you've put me through."  
  
Kikyou strung her bow again, but Kagome was faster, leaping across the space that seperated them to knock the weapon aside before grabbing he woman by the throat and lifting her up above her head. Kikyou's eyes closed, her hands clutching uselessly at Kagome's bloody arm as the girl held her aloft with inhuman strength.  
  
That was exactly how Inuyasha found them. 


	18. To subdue the savage beast...

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi...  
  
A/N: Ummm...Ah.. heh, sorry Emmi-chan, but I guess I'm just an obscenely fast writer... I've got the plotline in my head and I sit down when I get off work to type everything out and post before I go to bed. Usually that is. Yesterday, I posted really early in the morning because it WAS a pretty mean cliffhanger and I had to make up for getting the previous one out later in the evening than usual..Well that and InvisibleRain was emailing me like crazy. LOL ::shrug:: I don't know how I type like that, it's just how I've always done it. It's worse with my own stories.  
  
Stormie, I adore you for taking the time to give me those great reviews, you're wonderful! Also particularly to Otaku-chan, AutumnFire, Lazuli, and everyone who's been with me from the start I just CAN'T list everyone and it makes me feel really bad. That goes for all my reviewers and the great emails I keep getting, you're really the only reason I update so regularly. You always make my night. ::grin:: I still can't believe how many reviews I have... And I said a chapter a day you greedy greedy people! LOL, j/k. I don't know about two chapters a day, doesn't that seem a bit excessive to post? I don't know, maybe I should once or twice. I'll think about it now that Dilandra's swearing in Turkish, I'm facing therapy bills from Lina, and unsharpened pencil threats from Calendar. Man, I love you guys! ^_~  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: To subdue the savage beast....  
  
  
  
Inuyasha staggered at the massive waves of both energy and rage rolling off Kagome as she stood with her back to him, Kikyou held aloft in her bloody hand as though she weighed nothing. His throat closed as his eyes moved over her ripped clothing to the wounds steadily seeping more of her blood into her already soaked clothing. Her blood was all over the clearing, thickest at the ground in front of the well where the moonlight gleamed sickly off broken pieces of arrows that had been dropped carelessly about.  
  
For a moment he couldn't believe it, shaking his head as a low sound of denial escaped his throat, but it was all there for him to see.  
  
Kikyou had attacked Kagome.  
  
And now it looked very much like Kagome was about to kill her.  
  
But then, Kagome had been possessed before with the youkai... Was it possible it had happened again and SHE had attacked Kikyou first? Or perhaps Kikyou was simply trying to force out the spirit controlling the younger miko?  
  
Grimly he shook his head. No, Kagome hadn't lost control that time until she was attacked. There hadn't been any signs of the weird magic at any other time before or after. Something had to have set her off, and judging from the amount of blood soaking Kagome and the ground, her wounds had been inflicted a fair amount of time earlier. Kagome was unarmed and Kikyou had shot her at least twice. His expression filled with sadness and regret at the scene playing out before his stunned eyes.  
  
Kagome sneered up at Kikyou, rage blinding her to the hanyou standing frozen within his thoughts at the edge of the grove, "Why can't you just stay dead for once, bitch, instead of chasing after me? Do you get some twisted pleasure at seeing me bleed?" She snorted in disgust, eyes narrowing to slits as she tightened her hand on the girl's neck, "How silly of me, I answered my own fucking question, didn't I?"  
  
Kikyou gasped, trying to get her hands under Kagome's fingers, but the blood coating the girl's flesh made it too slick to get a good hold, "You should be dead. You can't bleed this much and live."  
  
Inuyasha felt his heart clench when he heard Kikyou's words and he fell back a step.  
  
So it really was true, Kikyou had meant to kill her.  
  
Kagome smiled, but there was no warmth in it, just cold, mocking amusement as the gray beneath her eyes darkened slightly, "Obviously I can."  
  
Inuyasha's fists clenched as his lips pulled back in a snarl against the pain and fear rising in him. He couldn't let this continue; had to stop it somehow. He didn't think he could bear to see them kill each other right in front of him.  
  
"Where did this power come from?" Kikyou gave up trying to pry open her hand, moving her hands down to press against Kagome's chest. If she could distract her long enough, she could at least use a blast of magic to free herself. "It is not your own, Kagome. Who's is it?"  
  
"Who knows," Kagome shrugged, uncaring and bored with the questions. "It's coming from inside me and that's all I care about. Time to die, Kikyou..."  
  
"Wait, Kagome, stop!" Inuyasha managed to find his voice to call out when he felt the power stir around her, stepping into the grove just enough to be out of the forest's shadows, his arm outstretched in a helpless gesture. His entire body trembled with the desire to rush into the grove and knock them apart, but he was afraid if he moved too fast he would set off Kagome in her current state. He couldn't risk that.  
  
"Inuyasha?" Kagome turned in surprise, her hold on the miko slackening.  
  
Taking full advantage of the distraction, Kikyou released the strongest blast she could summon in so short a time the moment Kagome's attention turned. The force hit Kagome full in the chest, flinging her backwards violently. Losing her hold on the other woman completely, she crashed hard on her back several feet away. Her head slammed against the ground, momentarily dazing her with the impact.  
  
"Kikyou, don't!" Inuyasha shot forward, grabbing the undead miko's hands desperately. "Stop it, you're going to kill her!"  
  
"Inuyasha..." Kikyou frowned as she looked up into the worry and pain in amber eyes staring down at her. Stepping closer to the hanyou and reaching up to lay her hand on his cheek. "She's gone insane, Inuyasha, she must be destroyed," she gestured with her other hand to the crumpled form.  
  
"No. Kikyou, I can't let you do that," he shook his head and whispered painfully, taking her hand lightly and removing it from his face. "I may have promised to protect you, but I cannot let you kill Kagome."  
  
Kikyou frowned sharply in annoyance, "You cannot stop me."  
  
At the other end of the grove, Kagome pushed herself to her feet, shaking her head to clear it as she turned to look at Inuyasha and Kikyou. Her heart leapt painfully in her chest and she lifted a hand to her mouth, her eyes narrowing as she noted how close they stood to one another and the hand Inuyasha held gently in his own. Their mouths were moving but she could hear nothing but her own heartbeat pounding rapidly with the sudden rise of emotions the sight of them sent through her.  
  
What had she expected? That just because of the way he'd been acting lately, Inuyasha would see what the miko had done and rush to her aid? She averted her face and bit her lip, choking back the sudden sting of tears in her eyes, "I'm such an idiot."  
  
*You see, Kagome? He will never choose you. You are standing here covered in blood and still he runs first to his precious Kikyou. You are nothing to him. He prefers the walking dead over you.*  
  
"No..." she whispered, pressing her hands to her ears in an attempt to shut out the low voice as sorrow swamped her. It never crossed her mind to question how the voice had grown so strong, changing from indistinct whispers to a tangible presence in her head. With the sudden distraction of consuming sadness overriding her rage, she finally felt the dizzying pain radiating from her wounds and stumbled to her knees at the force of the sensation. "No..."  
  
*It's true. You can see it yourself. Look, he is concerned only with her welfare. The only reason he called your name was to distract you so his love could attack. He will not care when she kills you. He wishes only to be free of you.*  
  
"Why? Why are you saying these things to me?" bitter tears welled in her eyes, sliding down her cheeks and mixing with the blood as they dripped to the grass. "Damn you, why?" she choked out brokenly, her fists clenching.  
  
*Because I can help you. I can see you for what you truly are, not as an imitation. I do not want you to die at their hands, Kagome. Make no mistakes, they will kill you.*  
  
Kagome wrapped her arms around her torso as though sometime in the past few moments it had turned to glass. Her eyes found Inuyasha and Kikyou staring silently at each other through matted curtain of her hair. She didn't want to believe the words, didn't want to listen as he whispered in her mind, but she could see it with her own eyes. He was right, Inuyasha cared only for the woman who had betrayed him so long ago.  
  
She looked away in defeat, unable to bear the sight of them when she was bleeding on the ground only a few feet away, "What do you want from me?"  
  
*You are still angry, Kagome. Even more so now than you were before. Let it fill you. That anger will make you stronger, strong enough to defeat them both.*  
  
"Angry...yes, I am... angry," her brows slowly lowered as she felt the seething rage pushing at the mind-numbing sorrow just like the voice had said. It felt good, pushing aside the hurt and the pain as she let it begin to spark to life again inside her.  
  
*The hanyou does not deserve the love of someone like you. You deserve to love one who does not compare you to the dead. That's all you ever wanted, was it not? Someone who would love Kagome and not Kikyou's reincarnation?*  
  
The calm she had lost when she gave into her pain slowly seeped back into her with every new pulse of anger, and Kagome let her hands fall slowly to her lap, "Love. Yes, I wanted to..."  
  
*I can give that to you, you know. If you give me a chance. All you have to do now is fight and live through this. Do not listen to him if he speaks to you, Kagome. He seeks to cause you more pain, more suffering. Do not let him close to you. Do not let him touch you.*  
  
"No," Kagome closed her eyes, the orange and violet energy flaring around her again, darker than it had been before. "You are right. I will not let him..."  
  
*Kill them, little one. It is the only way to rid yourself of the pain. I will help you and then I will come for you. I will love you.*  
  
"Yes...I won't listen to anymore. I will kill them before they kill me," her voice gained strength, distorting as she wrapped herself in that voice, in the energy it poured into her. She could feel him, the man who'd been whispering to her now seemed to be embracing her very soul as he continued to whisper to her. The voice was no longer insulting her, the mocking tone gone as though it had never been to be replaced with soothing warmth to dull the constant throbbing in her head.  
  
Inuyasha's ears flicked back as her voice gained enough volume to reach him, snapping his gaze to her in time to see her lift her arms skyward and the energy whirl around her feet like a vortex as it flared high. "Oh shit, no! KAGOME!!" he whirled to face her, his eyes wide as her scent wavered and faded into something hollow and empty.  
  
"I will not listen any longer," Kagome repeated solemnly as she rose to her feet, the injuries no longer hampering her motions. "I've seen all I need to see, and I will not be made a fool of again."  
  
"Fuck, this is even worse than before!" Inuyasha grabbed Kikyou and leapt out of the way as Kagome flung out a hand and sent a spiral of magic forward, tearing up the ground where they had been standing.  
  
Kagome's eyes followed them, her face expressionless as he landed and set Kikyou on her feet. The voice had been right after all, no matter what happened Inuyasha would always choose Kikyou. She sighed in regret, briefly allowing it to show in her eyes as she turned to Inuyasha, "I will not die tonight, hanyou."  
  
Inuyasha flinched at the coldness in her voice, shaking his head as he held out his hands to her, "Kagome, listen to me, whatever it is, you have to fight it. Please!"  
  
She tilted her head to one side much in the same way she had when studying Kikyou. She could feel the energy curling around him, reaching for her insistantly to push in on her. But it only made her head throb worse than it already was, making her vision swim and the blood pound in her ears so loudly it blocked every other sound.  
  
She forcefully pushed his aura away from her own, fighting to ignore the way it dulled her senses to hold it back, "You don't understand. There is nothing to fight. I am not possessed."  
  
"Can't you see it, Inuyasha?" Kikyou had regained her stoic expression, moving to Inuyasha's side. "The magic is feeding off HER rage, HER emotions. Kagome doesn't think she is being manipulated, so she will not fight. It would be better to kill her now."  
  
"NO!" he denied fiercely, his fists clenching as he watched Kagome casually rotate her shoulders and gather the energy around her.  
  
*They are plotting together.*  
  
"I can see that," Kagome answered him calmly, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly as she readied herself. "They will not win."  
  
Inuyasha's brows lowered dangerously, his own anger rising when he heard her speak, "What the fuck? She can hear someone. Someone's 'telling' her to fight us."  
  
"She tried to kill me, Inuyasha," Kikyou reminded him, kneeling to collect her bow and arrows. "We must stop her."  
  
"I won't allow you to hurt her, Kikyou," Inuyasha spared her only the barest glance before returning his gaze warily to Kagome. "Don't make me to fight you too."  
  
Before Kikyou had a chance to respond, Kagome had launched herself forward, avoiding Inuyasha completely to slam her shoulder into the miko's stomach and send them both crashing backwards. Inuyasha tried to catch hold of her as she shot past, but Kagome twisted to avoid him hand, snarling at him as she slid into a crouch.  
  
"Stay!" he leapt forward as she dropped to the ground, wincing when she let out a shout of pain.  
  
"Sit!" Kagome hissed, her head spinning at the abrupt jolt that went through her. "Fuck, hanyou, that hurt!"  
  
"Kagome, you have to let me help," Inuyasha's claws dug deep into the soil beneath him, tensing when he felt the blood in the grass. She'd subdued him, and that meant her mind was still active underneath the rage. If she was awake enough to remember the rosary, he could reach her, "You've lost too much blood."  
  
"Liar. You just want me dead so you can be with her," her eyes narrowed as she twisted, attempting to force the spell off herself.  
  
The man was hissing at her in her own mind, demanding to know why she hadn't told him the hanyou could restrain her with a word like that? "What difference does it make if he can do this to me?" she growled out angrily, her attention so focused on trying to move she completely missed the look of rage that crossed Inuyasha's face.  
  
*If I had known, I could have gotten you out of this before he had a chance to use it! I told you, dammit, don't let that hanyou touch you!*  
  
"He won't," Kagome shook her head, muscles tensing as she felt the spell losing its effect.  
  
"Get the fuck out of Kagome's head!" Inuyasha snarled up her, his eyes glowing fiercely with the depth of his own anger. Someone was daring to try and manipulate her and the very thought of it has his blood heating dangerously. As soon as he found out who it was he was going to take great pleasure in pulling them apart piece by piece.  
  
Kagome's eyes widened when she saw Inuyasha lift himself up and reach for her. Reacting with the voice, she screamed, leaning as far away from him as she could, "Don't touch me! Get away from me!"  
  
"Stay!" he snarled out again when he felt his mobility return, taking advantage of her renewed bellow of outraged pain to close the distance that remained between them. Inuyasha clapped a hand over her mouth to keep her from subduing him in return while his other arm wrapped around her tightly and forced her up against his chest.  
  
Kagome arched away from him at what should have been an impossible angle, attempting to scream, but the sound was muffled behind his hand. Inuyasha tightened his hold, swearing as he pressed her face to his chest, growling in her ear, "Dammit, Kagome, I don't know who's in your head but shut it out! You know I'd never hurt you!"  
  
Kagome bit her lip, a shudder wracking her frame from head to toe. The energy vibrating off him was breaking through her barriers, making the man in her head scream in outrage and her head pound as though it was trying to split apart.  
  
She whimpered in Inuyasha's hold, but it only encouraged him to hold her tighter, his hand stroking her back as he murmured in her ear. She could barely make out the words over the sound of her own blood and the fading voice. She desperately tried to hold onto it, but the pulsing throb at her hip lurched and then started to pound, slow and steady, drowning him out.  
  
She hadn't even realized she was cold until she felt the heat radiating off Inuyasha, seeping into her and scattering her thoughts until she was losing her hold on that glorious anger that had been rushing through her. The more the anger faded, the stronger the feel of pain and the weaker her limbs became until she was slumped against him, shivering as though she'd been submerged in ice for weeks.  
  
Inuyasha closed his eyes in relief, taking his hand away from her mouth to wrap both arms around her and cradle her to him, "That's it, Kagome. Push it out and listen to me. Calm down."  
  
"No," she whispered, her fingers clenching in his haori as a spasm of pain went through her, stealing her breath.  
  
"Yes," he insisted, pressing his lips to her temple. "Breathe, Kagome. Focus on me. Just on me, koibito."  
  
Kagome inhaled deeply, his voice filtering through the noise in her head and soothing her on a purely subconscious level. Inuyasha's scent filled her head with the breath, and the moment it did, the pounding eased.  
  
Blinking in surprise at the unexpected, but not unwelcome effect, she took another breath almost suspiciously. Again the chaos in her head seemed to shift and clear, Inuyasha's energy pushing aside the foreign magic until bit by bit, the other presence faded and vanished completely.  
  
The absence left only Kagome with her head spinning crazily as she felt Inuyasha's hands moving up and down on her spine in a gentle caress. The pain swamping her was incredible, more than she'd ever thought she could withstand, and she felt tears fall from her eyes as she fought to tamp it down.  
  
Inuyasha was presently praying to every god he'd ever known existed that he could get Kagome back to normal, whispering encouragement in her ear as he gently rocked her. He was trying to be careful of her horrible wounds, keeping his touch light even as the thickness of the blood scent made him dizzy. In the same breath he was thanking whatever had hit her with a subduing spell and given him the quick way out of fight he was certain would have been long and violent without it.  
  
Kikyou was all but forgotten in that moment as he focused completely on forcing whoever had dared to invade his Kagome's thoughts out of her head. He was almost afraid to move her with the way she was still bleeding, but he knew he had no hope of helping her until she was back under control.  
  
Kagome shuddered again, her thoughts muddled as though she was waking from a dream. The only things crystal clear to her at the moment was that she was in horrible pain and Inuyasha was holding her. She could remember how she got there, but just barely, everything tripping over itself in her mind. Confused and more than a little afraid, she focused on the one solid, comfortable thing for her at that moment and leaned into Inuyasha's embrace. Her injured shoulder screamed in protest when she moved, but she stubbornly ignored it to slide her arms around his waist.  
  
"Inuyasha?" she breathed out softly, an unspoken plea for some form of reassurance thick in her voice.  
  
"It's all right, Kagome, I'm right here," he soothed, fighting the urge to crush her against him with the strength of his relief. The empty scent was gone, leaving only her distinctive scent and the choking smell of her blood, "I'll take care of everything, I promise. You're safe with me."  
  
She nodded against his chest, "Safe. Inuyasha... you make me feel safe..."  
  
When Kagome went limp, Inuyasha knew she was unconscious and he wasted no time in gathering her in his arms with extreme care and rising to his feet. When he turned, his eyes fell on Kikyou, staring at him expressionlessly from the treeline.  
  
He felt a fresh wave of betrayal wash through him and couldn't prevent the growl that rose from his chest as he demanded, "What the fuck did you do to her, Kikyou?"  
  
Kikyou shrugged, uncaring at his display of temper, "We fought. She was losing until she was possessed by that youkai energy. She went insane and tried to kill me. You saw it yourself."  
  
"Youkai energy?" Inuyasha repeated in disbelief, but shook that aside. He could explore that later, but there were more important things that had to be dealt with now, "You were trying to kill her."  
  
"She only complicates things between us, Inuyasha," she responded softly, frowning slightly at the protests of her body. She needed to heal the damage Kagome had done in her rage quickly or this body might fall apart, "If she were dead it would be simple again."  
  
Inuyasha bit his lip and forced himself to remain calm, but his arms tightened around Kagome possessively, "I'm only going to say this once, Kikyou, so I want you to listen carefully. I may owe you for what was between us before, but Kagome is mine. I will protect her as I vowed to protect you, but if you attack her again, you'll be forcing me to choose..."  
  
"Would that be so bad a thing, Inuyasha?" Kikyou taunted lightly, refusing to look at the hanyou's face. When an uneasy silence stretched between them, she became impatient and finally shot him a narrow glance to gauge his reaction.  
  
Inuyasha was watching her with an unreadable expression, waiting for her to meet his eyes before he answered quietly, "I don't know if any of us would be satisfied if you force me to do that."  
  
Kikyou looked away again, lifting a hand to summon her own youkai, "I hope she is worth your life, Inuyasha. I will kill her and then I will have you. If you get between us, I will only kill you that much sooner."  
  
Inuyasha's eyes followed her only for a moment before he looked down at Kagome's pale face, "I don't intend to die anytime soon, Kikyou. Don't test me like that. Not anymore, and not with her."  
  
He was gone before Kikyou had turned back to respond. 


	19. The beating of two hearts...

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi...  
  
A/N: Oi, I give up! I give up!! ::runs away screaming:: Good lord, I'm being threatened by everyone! So I'll post this one now and do another one this evening, I promise... Just no more sharpened pencils!!! LOL... Have I told you all lately how much I love you? ^_~  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: The beating of two hearts...  
  
  
  
"Inuyasha, you have to let go of Kagome-sama so we can see to her injuries properly," Miroku tried again, speaking in his most calm, reasonable tone to the panting hanyou propped up against the wall of Kaede's hut.  
  
Inuyasha had burst through the doorway a short time ago, the loud entrance easily rousing the human occupants in time to see the hanyou, looking unbelievably pale and drawn, stumble across the floor and all but collapse when he reached the far corner of the room. Inuyasha was soaked with blood, a thick trail marking his passage on the floor, but it wasn't the hanyou who seemed to be bleeding.  
  
Kagome lay limply in his tight embrace, her skin gray and her breathing shallow. She was the one who looked like she'd been through hell... cut, bruised and filthy, but it was the blood that caused major concern. It was in her hair, on her face, tracking down her arms, darkening her clothes...  
  
Inuyasha had one hand clamped hard on her shoulder and the other on her stomach, blood oozing slowly from between his fingers. Whatever had happened to Kagome, it had been serious, but Inuyasha wasn't letting anyone close.  
  
The moment the others had tried to approach them, he'd let out a snarl so primal and violent that it froze them in their tracks while he clutched Kagome's form closer to his chest. His eyes were glowing angrily, teeth bared in a threatening snarl while the look on his face changed to something fierce and wild. He watched them with predatory caution, the growl never letting up as they attempted to cajole the hanyou into letting them near enough to treat the wounded girl.  
  
Inuyasha was completely exhausted and Kagome was horribly injured.  
  
It was a dangerous combination.  
  
"You're not laying a fucking hand on her, monk," Inuyasha growled out, low and deadly as his eyes swept the room. "Where's the old hag? She can heal Kagome."  
  
"Kaede's right here, Inuyasha," Sango all but wrenched the poor woman's arm out of its socket in her haste to pull her forward. "If you just let go of Kagome-"  
  
"NO!" Inuyasha roared the denial, his eyes locking onto Kaede's in an unmistakable command. "You can treat her right here. I'm not putting her down."  
  
Kaede nodded and walked forward warily, uncertain of whether or not the hanyou could be trusted in this state. She motioned quickly for Sango to get her healing supplies as she knelt in front of Inuyasha, "You will need to move your hands at least."  
  
He glared at her as though debating if he could refuse her request, but he finally nodded and slid his hand away while still cradling her close, "She's losing too much blood, baba. Make it stop. Now."  
  
Miroku sucked in breath sharply when he got a clear look at Kagome's condition, his face paling as he involuntarily fell back a step, "No... Kagome-sama..."  
  
Kaede shook her head grimly and reached for Kagome's hand to feel for a pulse. There was too much blood and she feared that nothing she could do would be able to keep the girl from dying. Her fingers tenatively found the pulse point and she pressed down hard, brow furrowed in concern.  
  
"Quit fucking wasting time, baba!" Inuyasha snarled when the old miko simply sat silently holding Kagome's wrist. "Seal her wounds, damn you!"  
  
Kaede frowned in confusion, "It's...not possible."  
  
"She's still alive!" he released Kagome to grab Kaede's wrist and force her to look at him. "Fucking do it!"  
  
"Inuyasha, you must calm yourself," Miroku cast a nervous glance back to the pallet where Shippo miraculously slept on. The last thing they needed was the baby kitsune to wake to the sight of Kagome dying in Inuyasha's arms. Bad enough that his little nose was already wrinkling as he registered the blood smell and buried his face deeper in her shirt. Miroku only prayed the kit would sleep through this mess.  
  
Kaede shook off Inuyasha's hold and felt Kagome's wrist again, "She has two heartbeats."  
  
"What?" Miroku frowned in confusion, taking a step closer until Inuyasha's growl again deepened and stopped him. He scowled at the hanyou in irritation, "Dammit, Inuyasha, I am not attempting to threaten Kagome- sama!"  
  
Sango caught the monk's arm and shook her head in a silent plea to be more patient until they figured out just what was wrong. She had returned, her own face paling rapidly when she saw Kagome's condition, but she swallowed her fear and revulsion, telling herself over and over to trust Inuyasha's snarl that she was alive.  
  
"What the hell are you babbling about?" Inuyasha shot Miroku another warning scowl before turning his attention back to Kaede.  
  
"Her heartbeat... it's strong," she murmured, holding out a hand to Sango and motioning her to join her quickly. "But there is a second that beats in her that's stronger. It... it beats and then there's a second one directly after it. I don't know how to describe this, Inuyasha."  
  
Inuyasha's brows lowered dangerous, if that fucking voice was back in her head somehow... He brushed Kaede's hand aside to press fingers wet with her own blood to her wrist and feel for what the miko was talking about. He frowned at her and shook his head, all he felt was Kagome's heartbeat, strong like she said and his own thundering through his veins, "There's only one, baba. Stop this fucking bleeding before you kill her with your hesitation."  
  
Deciding it would be easier to ignore the phenomenon for now in favor of healing the battered girl, she sent Miroku to stoke a fire. "How she has survived this blood loss is beyond me, Inuyasha. What happened to her?"  
  
Inuyasha's scowl grew even darker and he shifted her protectively closer before he answered, his voice tight with pain and sorrow, "Kikyou."  
  
Sango's face filled with anger even as Kaede's mimicked Inuyasha's sorrow, "What?!"  
  
"She...attacked Kagome," he responded dully, his ears flattening back. "At the well. She was trying to kill her."  
  
"Oh my God," Sango whispered, her lips curling in response to her disgust at the undead miko. "Where the hell were you during all this?!"  
  
Inuyasha's head snapped up, the pain and sorrow immediately replaced with defensive rage, "I was fucking asleep, bitch! Kagome went into the woods without telling me she was going!"  
  
Now it was Miroku who set a calming hand on the exterminator even as he queried softly, "What happened?"  
  
Inuyasha snarled, shaking his head even as his hand lifted to tenderly brush over Kagome's cheek, "The same fucking thing that happened with those youkai. Except it was worse... Someone was speaking to her, in her own mind. She was answering it as though it was talking to her instead of in her head. It... it was trying to get her to attack us. To kill me..."  
  
"Miroku-sama, put a knife or a some sort of metal on the fire. Quickly," Kaede instructed, cutting off the explanations impatiently as she gingerly lifted the remains of Kagome's shirt away from her skin and got a clear look at the seeping wounds. "Sango, get water and heat some but bring me a basin of cool water as well. Inuyasha, can you get her clothing out of the way?"  
  
Inuyasha's hand moved away from Kagome's face, running down her chest to slice away the shirt and down into her blood-dampened jeans as the other two jumped to the miko's bidding. He didn't want her pants gone yet, just open enough for Kaede to have easy access to her injuries. The shirt was just in the way, "What are you thinking of doing with the knife, baba?"  
  
"I'm going to sear the injuries closed to stop the bleeding," she responded matter-of-factly as she eased the remains of the shirt off Kagome completely.  
  
"The HELL you are!" Inuyasha snapped out in denial, his eyes once again fierce and threatening.  
  
"Inuyasha, it is the fastest way to stop the blood," Kaede frowned at him. "If she loses any more she WILL die. I don't know how she is alive even now. There is so little blood left that she doesn't even have color."  
  
He growled, not wanting to acknowledge what he feared as well, but Kaede was correct. Kagome had lost more blood than a human should be able to lose and still live, but he could still feel her heart beating strongly wherever they touched. Despite the steady pulse, he couldn't risk her losing more blood, "Fine. Do it then, but make it fast and don't even think I'm letting go of her when you do it."  
  
Kaede nodded, hoping to placate Inuyasha as she silently selected the herbs she would need. As soon as Sango returned with cold water and cloths she had anticipated being a necessity, the aged miko set to work, watching for Miroku to finish heating the knife and the water, "Make sure the water boils."  
  
Miroku nodded, catching Sango's hand and giving her an encouraging squeeze as their eyes were drawn to Kagome's still form. The girl looked impossibly fragile, her chest barely rising with each breath and her skin nearly as white as Inuyasha's hair. The black of her hair was a stark contrast to her pale skin, the only other color the dark scarlet of her blood coating her in disturbing quantities.  
  
Yet for his lack of injuries, Inuyasha didn't look as though he was in much better shape. He was just as pale as Kagome, his breathing shallow as he panted as though from great exertion. He sat almost perfectly still, his robes dark and stiff with Kagome's blood, only moving his hands to stroke Kagome or press light kisses to her forehead and temple. Miroku doubted he was even fully conscious of those telling actions, so intent were the hanyou's glowing eyes as they followed Kaede's every move with frightening intensity. Sweat beaded on the hanyou's face, running down his skin in rivulets, but he ignored it stoically as he waited impatiently for Kaede to heal the girl in his arms.  
  
It seemed like a painfully long stretch of time before the blade of the knife began to glow orange and then white with heat. Carefully, Miroku picked it up by the handle and carried it to Kaede, passing it to her and stepping back when Inuyasha began to growl low in his throat again.  
  
"Youkai instincts," Sango whispered to Miroku, her face tense as Kaede instructed Inuyasha to hold Kagome still.  
  
Miroku sighed, clenching his fists at his sides, "So I gathered. Inuyasha doesn't want another male near her when she is like this."  
  
Inuyasha was so intent on the blade that he didn't hear the exchange, growling as he supressed the urge to wrap his arms around Kagome and knock the glowing weapon away. Instead, he moved the arm around her back up so he could wrap his hand around the lower half of her face, insinuating his hand between her teeth to keep her from screaming and holding her still.  
  
Kaede grimly leaned forward, pressing her hand to Kagome's darkly bruised chest as she set the blade lightly, briefly to the wound at her shoulder. Kagome flinched, biting down hard on Inuyasha's hand as she whimpered in pained distress and pressed herself into him. Inuyasha grunted, his nose protesting severely at the smell of burned flesh as he tightened his hold on her. The growling grew louder, an instinctive threat to what caused Kagome pain, but he remained silent as Kaede removed the knife and lowered it to the more severe wound in her side.  
  
Sango reached out, clenching Miroku's hand so tightly he could almost feel the bones in his hand seperating, but he only squeezed back, forcing himself to watch as Kaede pressed the blade to the second wound.  
  
A hint of scarlet bled into Inuyasha's golden eyes when tears slipped silently from beneath Kagome's tightly closed eyelids, her face twisting to press against his neck. Unconsciously she was seeking comfort, release from this new pain and turning to him and he had never felt more useless. The only way to help her was to force her to do this.  
  
"What about her back, Inuyasha?" Kaede's voice was strained, the only sign of how distasteful and draining she found this task.  
  
His brows lowered dangerously, but he somehow managed to turn her in his lap to give the old woman access to the single exit wound at her side. Luckily, the arrow that had struck her shoulder hadn't pierced all the way through. That meant this was the last injury that needed to be seared, "It's almost over, Kagome."  
  
Inuyasha felt her hand clench in his haori and he closed his eyes, swearing mentally and praying that she wasn't awake, 'Kami-sama, please let her still be unconscious!'  
  
Mercifully, Kagome didn't rouse.  
  
Kaede finished the last quickly, still holding the cooling knife as she looked over the wounds critically to make sure the bleeding had indeed stopped. Satisfied that the girl was no longer losing blood, she wordlessly handed the knife back to Miroku and bent to the water.  
  
Inuyasha's hand on her arm stopped her, lifting her gaze, "Inuyasha, the wounds have to be cleaned and treated."  
  
"Give me a room and tell me what to do," he instructed in a low growl, nostrils flaring from the thick scents in the room.  
  
Kaede opened her mouth to protest, but stopped herself when she saw the look in the hanyou's eyes. Instead she nodded, and wearily stood, motioning for him to follow even as she looked at Miroku and Sango, "Bring those and follow me."  
  
Inuyasha ignored them as he trailed after the miko, stepping into the room she indicated and standing aside as the water and herbal mixtures were laid out. Sango and Miroku left just as quietly as they had entered, hoping to clean the signs of Kagome's injuries from the main room of the hut. If the smells were offensive to their noses, they could only imagine the hell it would be for Inuyasha and Shippo if the kit caught wind of it.  
  
"Call me if anything changes, Inuyasha," Kaede intoned gravely after she'd given him a clipped set of instructions, waiting for his nod of assent before she too left him to privately tend to Kagome.  
  
Once they were gone, he dropped to his knees, removing the rest of Kagome's clothes and reaching for a cloth. Dipping it in the hot water, he drew it carefully over her face, his own filled with pain at the sight of her, "Damn you, Kagome, what were you thinking?"  
  
Inuyasha took great pains in washing the dirt and blood from her body, wincing at the multiple bruises darkening her skin in addition to the smaller cuts and abrasions attesting to her fight against Kikyou. His hand was shaking by the time he was satisfied that her body was clean and he reached for the healing herbs.  
  
It was awkward work, slathering on the salves and crushed powder when refusing to take her out of his lap, but he had a horrible feeling that if he stopped touching her she would slip away from him. It was even more difficult when it came to binding her injuries, but he somehow managed and then even coaxed water down her throat to rinse away the blood she'd drawn when she bit him.  
  
Funny, he hadn't even really noticed that, he thought, looking at the deep, half circle puntures in the web of his right hand. The wounds had already closed, healing with the speed his youkai blood bestowed on him, and for once he felt guilty that he healed at such an increased rate.  
  
With the task of cleaning and treating the wounds finished, Inuyasha sat back, a wave of weariness sweeping through him that rivalled any other such feelings he'd ever had in his long life. Balancing Kagome with one arm, he wrestled with his blood-stained robes, pulling them off and throwing them aside carelessly before he searched the dark room for the futon.  
  
His muscles screaming in protest, he carried her to simple bed and lay down, settling her on top of him. Kagome's arms lay limply on either side of his chest, her head turned so that her ear rested over his heart almost the same way Shippo had snuggled against her earlier that evening. Gently, he shifted, pinning her legs between his own as he wrapped his arms around her back and stroked her hair in long, slow motions.  
  
The silence settled heavily around him, making his thoughts impossible to push aside as they pounded in his ears. If he hadn't fallen asleep this wouldn't have happened, Kagome would never have left or even if she had he would have been with her. He would have been able to protect her and she wouldn't be here, in his arms, possibly dying from blood loss. Her body was cold, the breath against his bare chest and her heartbeat the only lifeline his sanity had at the moment.  
  
His eyes squeezed closed as he bit down hard on his lower lip and slammed his head back into the bedding, trying to force the torturous thoughts out of his head. It wouldn't do him any good now. He had to focus on Kagome and healing her wounds and when she was back on her feet and arguing with him, THEN he could let himself give in to his guilt for failing her again.  
  
He tucked the blankets tightly around them with one hand before wrapping his arms around her again and pressing his face to her hair. He inhaled deeply, taking in her scent and letting it ease the pain in his chest. The poultices he'd applied to her wounds had almost covered the scent of her burned flesh, leaving her own scent with a heavy "medicine" twinge. It wasn't his favorite smell in the world, but he'd take it over the others any day and be glad for it.  
  
"You have to survive this, Kagome, do you hear me?" Inuyasha's arms tightened as he opened his eyes to glare down at her. "Don't you dare disobey me this time... You aren't going to fucking die on me. I won't allow it." 


	20. Just a little longer...

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi....  
  
A/N: Never underestimate the persuasive powers of people with MSN messenger and email... ::sigh:: InvisibleRain threatened to borrow Calendar's pencils and bring pens if I didn't post a second chapter, soooo..... I guess I got rooked into it. Not just that, but Lazuil's threatening sunburns and Lina threatened to burn my sister at the stake if I ever skipped a day. *stops to think* Now THAT might not be so bad.... LOL kidding! I'm really just absolutely terrified of those unsharpened pencils. ::giggle:: God I love all my reviews! You guys are fantastic, but if I tried to name all of you the post would be a mess! It is really sweet to worry about burnout, but actually, heh, writing is kinda what I do. ::shrug:: For fun anyway. I've spent around six hours or so a day since I was eight (I think) just sitting in front of a computer and writing. And if you think I'd want to face everyone if I suddenly stopped posting you're insane! :::looks around nervously:: I think I'd get hunted down if I quit this story!  
  
Ahh....ahh.....400 reviews?! ::faints::: I don't believe it! O.O  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Just a little longer...  
  
  
  
Inuyasha didn't leave Kagome's side for a full week.  
  
And in all that time, Kagome didn't move, didn't make one sound.  
  
Yet, the thing that kept the hanyou from going absolutely insane was that through it all, her heartbeat stayed strong and steady. Slowly, her color began to return, her breathing coming easier until it seemed almost back to normal. She still looked like absolute hell warmed over, but she was alive and healing, and it was more than enough for Inuyasha.  
  
Inuyasha let Kaede inside only once during that time to check on her, and that had taken the better part of an afternoon just to negotiate. Other than that, he simply opened the door and barked out orders for anyone around and slammed the door. He demanded medicine, water, and food whenever they ran out, but aside from that room was eerily silent.  
  
Surprisingly, the only really serious problem had happened the first morning after Kagome had been injured, and it had barely involved her at all.  
  
Once Shippo woke up and took Kagome's shirt off his face, he'd caught the scent of the blood and the burned flesh and immediately screamed at the top of his little lungs for Kagome. The scream had snapped the humans in the hut awake, but before they could stop him, he'd gone streaking off in the direction of her scent. Inuyasha had been rudely jarred awake when the kitsune lept onto Kagome's naked back, wailing like the world was coming to an end.  
  
When the hanyou's eyes opened to see the kit on Kagome his control had snapped. The roar of outrage from Inuyasha shook the walls of the hut and likely scared the life out of more than one villager, but he'd never loosened his hold on the unconscious girl as he demanded the kit get off her and get out. Shippo was tenacious, and Inuyasha had to forcibly pry the baby youkai off her, flinging him at the door the moment it opened.  
  
Shippo had slammed straight into Miroku's chest, knocking them both backwards into the hall with a resounding crash, punctuated with some impressive cursing while Sango rushed in on their heels. Her eyes went huge and she felt back several steps in disbelief when her eyes found the pair of them on the futon, "Inuyasha!?"  
  
"OUT!!" Inuyasha snarled out, rearing up with Kagome still cradled carefully against him, his arms shifting to hide as much of her from them as he could. "Fucking get out NOW!!" the threat and authority in that voice had gained the desired effect and the room had cleared so fast it had even surprised the hanyou.  
  
It had been the last time anyone tried to enter the room unannounced, but Shippo had stubbornly taken up watch outside the door, attempting to sneak in every time Inuyasha opened it to call for something new. But the kitsune never made it past Inuyasha, no matter what he tried.  
  
Settling the house into a tense routine.  
  
At the moment Inuyasha was holding Kagome in his lap, wearing only his under-robes with a sheet tucked lightly over her to preserve her modesty in case she woke up while he was tending to the healing wounds. All week he'd held her, wiping her down with cool water in what he hoped would keep a fever away, even washing her hair a few times in an effort to make her more comfortable.  
  
Inuyasha brushed his hand gently along her cheek, his eyes softening and a low rumble rising in his chest. He'd had more than enough time to sit and think, his hands never far from Kagome's face or hair, lightly stroking as he murmured apologies and promises that if she'd just wake up, he'd make sure nothing ever happened to her again. He'd let her go back through the well whenever she wanted, he'd stop subduing her... Hell, he'd been promising anything and everything if she'd just open her eyes.  
  
He wasn't exactly prepared for when she did.  
  
Kagome shifted slightly, making a slight sound of protest in his lap.  
  
Stunned, Inuyasha nearly dropped her, but recovered in a rush and dragged her up against him so fast, he caught the sheet around her under his own knee, uncaring when it came loose in the process. If her head wasn't spinning already it definitely would have been now, "Kagome! Kagome, can you hear me?!"  
  
"Ite..." she breathed softly, a shudder wracking her from head to toe as her head lolled forward against his chest. Pain exploded through her body, making her hiss and try to tuck herself into Inuyasha in an effort to escape it, "Fuck..."  
  
Inuyasha's lips turned up in a brilliant smile that would have very likely blinded Kagome if she saw it. He let out a heavy breath in a loud rush that he hadn't even been aware he was holding. His arms tightened around her and he buried his face in the curve of her neck, pressing a hard kiss to her shoulder and inhaling deeply as the tension slowly eased out of him.  
  
It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever heard come out of her mouth, "You are awake."  
  
"How... long have I...been asleep?" Kagome winced at the pain throbbing through every inch of her body. She felt impossibly sluggish, hearing her own words like they were being spoken through a tunnel.  
  
"A week," he answered, rubbing his cheek against hers and just enjoying the feel of her, responsive and conscious. "How do you feel?"  
  
"Like absolute shit," she grumbled sourly, giving into the urge to bury her face against his chest and take a deep breath. She closed her eyes and wrapped her the smell and feel of Inuyasha around herself as best she could. It was the last thing she remembered before everything went black, comforting and making her feel protected and safe.  
  
Inuyasha gave a short bark of laughter, his throat suspiciously tight as he responded to her body language and tucked his legs up to settle her in the cradle of his lap, "If it makes you feel any better, you look like absolute shit too."  
  
"If I didn't feel so bad, I'd kick you," Kagome lifted her uninjured arm weakly to touch his chest, her brows lowering in surprise when she touched something thin that brushed aside easily. Her palm rested lightly bare skin instead of his regular haori, 'That's strange...What's wrong with his kimono?'  
  
"Maybe I'll let you when you're feeling up to it," he closed his own eyes and carefully stroked his hand up and down her spine, not wanting to accidentally cut the new bandages he'd just taken so long to wrap around her.  
  
Kagome shivered at the feel of the caress, her mind taking a moment to actually connect and process information through the dense haze of pain clouding her thoughts. Something about his hand and her back didn't feel like she thought it should, just like her hand on his chest... Her brow furrowed as she tried to sort out what was wrong with it, but her head just wasn't cooperating, "I think I'll hold you to it. What happened to me, Inuyasha?"  
  
Inuyasha frowned, his ears flattening back as he wondered if her injuries were more serious than they thought. Had she hit her head and he just hadn't checked her over well enough to find it? His heartbeat started to pound with apprehension as he lifted his hands and began to gently prod her from head to toe, checking to see where she seemed to be tender. He couldn't help his own grimace when most of where he touched prompted a moan or a gasp from the weakened girl, "What can you remember?"  
  
She shook her head, groaning when the motion made spots dance behind her eyes and her head swim, "I... I stepped outside and everything... felt different. I just started walking. The forest was so peaceful, and I just ended up at the well before I knew it."  
  
Inuyasha barely succeeded in keeping the smile from his lips as the pleasure he felt at her admission, slowly eased the muscles that had been constricting in his chest. She really hadn't been trying to sneak back to her time and leave him...  
  
"Then Kikyou-," her voice broke and she stopped for a moment, taking deep breaths to quell the sudden nausea that hit her. "Kikyou shot me. I think three times, but I didn't do anything at first, Inuyasha! I swear, I didn't-"  
  
"Shh! I know, Kagome, I know," he soothed, dropping his chin onto her head and squeezing her lightly to stop the desperate rambling. "It's okay. Tell me what happened after she shot you."  
  
"You... believe me?" Kagome looked up at him, her eyes glassy from the pain and wide with uncertain surprise. 'Inuyasha believes me over Kikyou?' the hand against his chest curling slightly.  
  
He moved his other hand up to brush a finger over her mouth, "Of course I do. It's all right, Kagome, I know this wasn't your fault. Tell me, please?"  
  
Kagome's eyes searched his for a long moment, blinking rapidly as she tried to clear her vision before she finally gave up and just tucked her head back to his chest. Her hand stroked over the muscles lightly, curious at how soft the skin beneath her fingertips felt, "I didn't want to die, and then there was a voice. It was telling me to give up, but I didn't want to. And then... then there was this strength inside me, and I didn't feel any pain anymore. I just knew that I could fight with that power. I wanted to kill her..."  
  
Inuyasha reached down to pull her more tightly into his lap, an encouraging rumble in his chest as he soothed the trembling that started through her again, "You were speaking as though you were listening to someone."  
  
She flinched and tried to tuck herself smaller against him as his arms slid fully around her back and flattened her chest to his, "It was... a man. I think. He told me he would help me, that you would kill me so you could be with Kikyou."  
  
Inuyasha's brows lowered in a dangerous scowl, the growl rising unbidden from deep inside at the thought of a man, any man, invading Kagome's mind a trying to feed her those lies, "I would never hurt you, Kagome! And I'll never let anyone hurt you. Anyone... You know that."  
  
Kagome was getting dizzy again, closing her eyes as a new spasm of pain went through her and made her whimper. Being pressed to Inuyasha like this was sending warmth curling in her veins, making the pain less noticeable and relaxing her sore muscles. She was so tired, "I just... I saw you together and it hurt. I just wanted to lash out at someone, and... and he made it easy. I'm sorry! Inuyasha, I'm so sorry!"  
  
"Calm down, Kagome!" he shook his head and grimaced at how broken and small her voice sounded. His ears flattened back as he rocked her gently, eyes closing when he felt the tears on his chest, "You aren't strong enough to do this yet, and you don't have to apologize. I should have been protecting you."  
  
"That's such bullshit, Inuyasha," her fingers flexed against his chest, but the effort to lift her head was just too much. Her shoulder pulled painfully and she gingerly reached up to touch it, gasping at the wave of blackness the went through her when she did. Her hand dropped, grazing her own chest before it fell to her lap. Her eyelids felt like lead, but what had met her fingertips had her lifting her hand again and pressing it to her stomach curiously, "You were right. I shouldn't have left without you."  
  
"No, I-"  
  
"Am I naked?" Kagome's groggy whisper cut off his attempt to redirect the blame where he felt it belonged.  
  
Inuyasha blundered for a moment at the blunt question, his mouth working soundlessly as he tried to collect his suddenly scattered thoughts. His hands tightened on her as he tried to explain even as he felt his cheeks heat with a blush when her question instantly snapped his attention onto the fact that they were in what could most definitely be considered a compromising position. Not just that but it was bringing to mind the actual feel of her against him, and THAT was definitely not something he should be worrying about right now, "I... you... that is...I mean..."  
  
Kagome was slumping against him again, her words slurring slightly as she started to lose consciousness again, "I am, aren't I? Are you naked too?"  
  
"Ah... no, not exactly," he stammered out, concerned at how she was fading again while he was sure his face was practically glowing. It was true...sort of. So they weren't exactly the thickest fabric in the world and they weren't tied on as securely as they could be. And she was just wearing the bandages... 'Damn, I really can't be thinking like this!' he bit his lip, but still kept her pressed tightly against him.  
  
"I'm cold, Inuyasha..." she rubbed her cheek against his chest. It really was just too much for her mind to try and handle right now and she let it go, welcoming that rising blackness that promised to take away the pain. "Would you...?"  
  
Inuyasha swallowed his embarassment immediately with his rising concern, "Would I?"  
  
"Would you just...hold me like this just a little longer? I can be embarassed later, right?" Kagome finished, her voice trailing off as she let out a sigh and slid back into the soothing void.  
  
Inuyasha stared down at her head for a long moment in disbelief, but his mouth twitched and ever so slowly, a smile spread wide from ear to ear. He let his eyes slide closed, rubbing his cheek against hers again to comfort himself with the much more natural slumber she seemed to have slipped into. A jaw-cracking yawn worked its way free with the last release of the tension and fear that had been nearly strangling him all week, and Kagome's heartbeat against his own was hypnotic, beating with his own.  
  
With great care, he manuevered himself back down on the futon, settling her on top of him the same way he'd done the first night. This time, however, he was much more aware of the feel of her bare skin, setting his jaw to ignore it even as his hands lifted to smooth over her hair and down her back. Kagome shifted against him in her sleep, sighing his name as she moved to tuck her head into the curve of his neck on her own.  
  
Inuyasha reached up and tilted her chin up so he could lean down and press his lips softly to hers. Instinctively, she reacted to the contact and Inuyasha debated with himself for all of two seconds before taking advantage of it to give into the urge he'd been having for weeks. His hand cupped her cheek as he deepened the kiss with almost desperate need, silently thanking the gods he'd been praying to before that she was alive and if not exactly well, on her way to it. The soothing balm to his frayed nerves was right there. In the way she was moving in his hold, the soft sounds rising instinctively from her throat as he coaxed her into responding, and even the taste of her was filled with warmth as it swamped his senses.  
  
It wasn't until the low growl in his chest turned into what he could only call a moan and he was very seriously debating a whole lot more than just kissing that he stopped himself.  
  
Inuyasha regretfully pulled back, staring down at her for a long moment before, once more tucking her tightly against him. He pressed his lips softly to the top of her head, inhaling her scent one more time. He felt her sigh, her lips curving against his throat and bringing a warm smile to his own mouth.  
  
Closing his eyes, Inuyasha took deep breaths to calm himself and settled in to really sleep for the first time all week. 


	21. Define red....

standard disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi  
  
  
  
A/N: Oi, okay, here's the next chapter, a bit late because I was having issues with the server..::sigh:: I'm being hounded! Hounded I tell you! It's all Lazuli, InvisibleRain, and Lina!! Well, actually I can't blame it all on them...they're just the worst about it. LOL. BUT....Azurite has found my one true weakness.... "Ookami nee-san?" *starry-eyed* And hearing that you've thought it was good enough to gush at people who never read fics?? ::faints for real::  
  
However, just in case anyone is feeling left out, I adore you all! I've never blushed so much in my life! Honestly!! 430 reviews??? I still can't believe it... O.o  
  
Ah :ahem: sorry if anybody's getting cavaties, but after that Kikyou fight Inuyasha and Kagome need a little down time. ::giggling:: ya know, ukyou suggested I do something like refuse to post new chapters until I get 600 reviews to see just how many people are reading this. Hmmm.... Well, I would do something evil like that, but then again, I really don't want to chased to the end of the earth with spoons and pencils... *snicker* Still, the very thought of such an evil threat makes me grin. ^_~  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Define red....  
  
  
  
'Great! Just fucking great, Kagome! I tell you specifically to stay close to your hanyou and what do you do? You go racing off at the first chance you get and almost get yourself killed!'  
  
Kagome jolted at the sound of the voice directly behind her. She was starting to dread hearing that sound more than anything else and she sighed wearily as she started rubbing her temples, 'I knew it was too soon to think you were going to leave me alone. So how did I get such a long break from you?'  
  
'You're balancing again, so it's safe for me to be here. If I tried before now your hanyou's soul would have ripped me apart,' the voice was close again, but instead of the familiar hazy gray landscape it seemed to prefer, this time, everything was pitch black. Kagome shivered and tried to peer into the darkness, but it was like being blind... trapped in a void, 'Don't you realize how close you came to getting yourself killed?!'  
  
Kagome blushed, nervous at her inability to see anything around her and more than a little concerned after what she could remember of the last voice. Instinctively tucking her knees up to her chest so she could hide her blush, she admitted quietly, 'I didn't think it would be like that! What the hell happened?'  
  
'I told you that there were others trying to invade your mind. The hanyou's presence is what keeps them from being able to connect with you and you getting angry only gives them a direct path in. Hell, Kagome, you couldn't have made it any easier for them to get inside your head if you tried! Weren't you listening to what I told you at all?'  
  
She hunched up even tighter, flinching when she felt the hand settle on her shoulder, 'I didn't believe you.'  
  
The voice let out a frustrated sigh and suddenly it was an arm around her shoulder instead of just a hand, 'Kagome, I told you that I'm not trying to hurt you. I need you to trust me when I tell you what you need to do. I really am only trying to keep you alive and safe while we figure out how to undo the distortion in the spell, or at least figure out how to combat it. Do you understand that the only reason you're still alive is because of the spell with your hanyou? And that he came after you so quickly?'  
  
'I don't understand,' Kagome lifted her head, but everything was still dark and she dropped it miserably back down into her arms. 'What is that spell doing to me?'  
  
'We connected you to the hanyou,' it answered after a moment's hesitation, obviously unhappy with what it was telling her but unwilling to risk a repeat of what had just occured. 'You lost so much blood that by all accounts your heart should have stopped while you were fighting the resurrected miko. The only reason it didn't was that first, you were feeding of the energy of whatever the hell is trying to get in your head. When you lost your access to that energy source, Inuyasha was close enough to you that his heart took over. It was guiding your own and keeping you alive. If he'd left you before your body replenished that blood, your heart definitely would have stopped.'  
  
Kagome felt the blood drain from her face, a chill rushing through her at what the voice was saying, 'Stopped?'  
  
'That miko would have killed you with those wounds. Of course it didn't help that you were being so damn energetic in fighting them. You did even more damage to yourself than you realize,' it rubbed her back in what she imagined was supposed to be a soothing way.  
  
As soothing as it could be for a disembodied voice that spontaneously grew hands and arms as it got stronger and yelled at her in her own dreams, she thought with a bitter twist of lips. But if he was telling the truth, and she really had no reason not to think so after what happened, then she had almost killed herself with her own actions. Without Inuyasha she would be dead or still dying. Wait, was she...?  
  
'Am I still dying?' she asked in a small voice, closing her eyes against the painful lurch of her heart in her chest.  
  
'Not anymore. Your heart is beating on its own again, however, it still follows your hanyou's guidance. His soul is very determined to keep you alive and it will not release yours now that it has a hold within yours. We are still trying to figure out how he did such a thing without being aware of it.'  
  
'I still don't think I understand,' Kagome admitted, lifting her face and wiping at the tears making their way down her cheeks. 'Inuyasha's soul is holding mine?' she repeated, trying to get some clarification.  
  
'Don't worry about it for the moment. You need only to focus on getting well,' it prompted gently, a strange ripple going through the blackness around her that she could sense more than see. 'The hanyou may be keeping you alive, but you are still of human blood. You took very serious injuries, critical injuries, and they will take time and care to heal fully.'  
  
Kagome frowned in confusion, 'Why do you call him that? You say his name sometimes, but you still usually call him "the hanyou" or "my hanyou." Why do you do that?'  
  
'I don't like him much myself, but you two need each other,' she could taste the amused smile in the voice. 'Let him take care of you, Kagome, and don't push yourself. I can't stay long yet with him being so deeply ingrained in you right now, but we'll speak more when you're up for it.'  
  
'You jerk, you just brought me here to yell at me,' she muttered in irritation, wishing for a moment that the voice was solid enough to throttle.  
  
'Damn straight! Don't make me reinforce the spell to keep you close to him.'  
  
Kagome instantly went silent, her eyes going wide as the implications of that threat hit her, 'You wouldn't...'  
  
'Don't tempt me.'  
  
***  
  
Kagome snapped awake with a startled gasp, her muscles stiffening in alarm.  
  
She instantly regretted the knee-jerk reflex when pain lanced through her aching body, making her head swim. She gritted her teeth, eyes squeezing shut against the pain as she took deep breaths, forcing her body to relax muscle by cramping muscle while her head pounded fiercely, making her dizzy and more than a little sick to her stomach.  
  
'Good God, it wasn't kidding about how bad I was hurt,' Kagome could feel tears prickling at backs of her eyes as she fought to get herself back under control.  
  
It took forever, but she finally got her muscles to relax, leaning back only to have her back come up against something warm, solid...and breathing.  
  
Kagome's eyes slowly opened again and went very, very wide as her mind began to replay what exactly she'd been doing prior to losing consciousness this last time. She'd just registered that it was more than likely Inuyasha behind her when she felt a completely unexpected pressure that instantly sent the beginnings of her coherent thoughts to the four winds.  
  
There was a heavy arm around her waist that had tightened when she moved, pulling her closer to the warmth at her back. And a hand, a rather large, clawed hand, flexed from where it was pressed to her bosom.  
  
Kagome's mouth fell open and she just knew that the blush that swept through her was going all the way to her toes, "Oh my God. I am not lying here naked with Inuyasha; I am NOT lying here naked with Inuyasha....!"  
  
Inuyasha growled in his sleep, shifting closer to her and nuzzling his face to her neck. Kagome felt a shiver trail down her spine when she felt teeth at the nape of her neck, squeezing her eyes closed and biting her lip as she tried to think of the easiest way to extricate herself from the situation.  
  
It definitely didn't help that she could hear a voice that was suspiciously like her own urging her to just lean back against him and enjoy it like she wanted to. She really wished she could pass that off to the other voices running around in her head without her permission, but this one she had been dealing with a lot longer than the others. This one was the part of her mind that was brutally honest, and she couldn't blame it on anyone else.  
  
Kagome blushed an even deeper shade of red and hissed at that part of her mind to shut up as she reached up with her uninjured hand to take his wrist. It was disconcerting to feel the weakness in her own limbs as she tried to tug his hand to a safer location, but Inuyasha only grunted, moving his hand to take hers and press them both over her heart.  
  
'Okay, that's teeth,' Kagome's heart started to pound when Inuyasha's mouth again closed over the tendon in her neck. "Oh hell, not this again," she swallowed, taking a deep bracing breath and trying to think of anything else besides the renewed urge to just melt against that soothing heat.  
  
Miroku wasn't here to distract her this time.  
  
Kagome held her breath when Inuyasha growled again, louder this time before inhaling deeply and rolling onto his back. She let out a squeak of surprise when he pulled her along with him, releasing her neck long enough to turn her just with the arm still wrapped around her waist. He settled when her legs were yet again trapped between his, turning her face before she'd could do more than catch a glimpse of the smug tilt to his lips before he was kissing her.  
  
Inuyasha was waiting for the gasp he knew she wouldn't be able to surpress, all but purring when her mouth opened right as he'd anticipated. He leaned forward to take it deeper just long enough for her fingers to curl against his chest before he pulled back to grin at the shocked look on her face.  
  
Kagome sat perfectly frozen, mouth open and eyes wide as she gaped at him; her mind a complete and total blank.  
  
It was obvious the moment she collected at least some of her thoughts by her reaction, dropping her face down to his chest so fast that for a moment he was afraid she'd lost consciousness. Inuyasha cocked his head to one side to look down at her face, but she just tried to curl in smaller and refused to meet his eyes.  
  
Kagome felt the vibration in his chest and gritted out almost too low for him to hear, "If you laugh at me, Inuyasha, I swear I'll make you regret it."  
  
"Stay," Inuyasha bit his lip and started to laugh when her legs relaxed. It had been unexpected enough that Kagome didn't have time to respond before he was giving her his explaination for saying it, "Sorry, Kagome, but I do have some self-preservation instincts." He shifted his legs beneath hers, reaching down and moving her until she was straddling his waist. "This doesn't hurt does it? Can you sit like this?" he asked in concern as he tried to settle her into what he hoped was a comfortable position.  
  
Kagome closed her eyes and fought the urge to scream at him, but her head was still pounding and she was sure yelling would just make the headache worse. The hazy fog muddling her thoughts also hadn't lifted completely, although having Inuyasha kiss her like that had done a damn good job of getting it close, "No..no, that doesn't hurt."  
  
He sighed with mock regret, stroking her back and fighting the urge to smile at the way she leaned into his hand even now, "This would be a bad time remind you that you're naked, right?"  
  
Kagome reared up so fast that before she'd even realized what she'd done, her muscles were screaming in painful protest and a choked sound worked it's way free of her throat, "Ite!"  
  
Inuyasha was sitting up with his arms wrapped around her before she'd finished the pained gasp, "Easy, Kagome! Dammit, don't try to move like that yet!"  
  
She looked up at him, giving him a weak smile, "That...really hurt."  
  
"Baka," he shook his head, reaching down awkwardly to wrap the blanket around her gently. "You not going to be doing a whole lot of moving for a while. You're just a weak human after all."  
  
"Inuyasha, you're wracking up an awful lot of painful moments for yourself right now," Kagome turned her face away when his hand brushed her chest, her blush back in full force.  
  
He tilted her chin up and kissed her forehead, "If you promise me you'll never do anything that fucking stupid again I'll consider it a fair trade."  
  
Inuyasha was so focused on the girl in his lap that he failed to notice the door moving aside ever so slightly and a little head peeking through.  
  
Shippo took one look at first the hanyou, and then to Kagome, his eyes widening when he saw her actually move her head up under Inuyasha's chin. Scowling at Inuyasha for not telling him the moment she woke up, he bit his lip to hold in the squeal of delight and readied himself to spring. As long as he reached Kagome, she would let him stay, he knew it!  
  
Inuyasha caught the russet blur by the tail mere inches from its goal, frowning in casual disapproval, "Keh, just because you got in here doesn't mean I can't smell you, brat. Or sense it when you move. How fucking stupid do you think I am?"  
  
"You've had her all to yourself and you never told us when she woke up, you jerk!" Shippo pulled himself up to sink his teeth into Inuyasha's hand. "We're worried, dammit, and you never let us in to see her!"  
  
"Ite! You're going to pay for that later," Inuyasha tossed the kit up and caught him by the scruff of the neck. He shook him once and snarled out, "Now listen! You can stay, Shippo, BUT... You hurt her, even unintentionally, and I'll beat the shit out of you. She's still in bad shape and you can't act like you normally do. That means no jumping on her, got it? She's bruised enough for fuck's sake."  
  
Shippo blinked up at him, amazed at what to him was a drastic change in the hanyou's behavior, "You... don't care that I'm here? You won't throw me out?"  
  
He snorted in disgust and dropped the little kitsune, shifting Kagome in his lap get the blanket more securely around her and then turn her in the cradle of his lap, "I'd rather you weren't here, but I won't throw you out. I don't want Kagome upset."  
  
Kagome had been listening to the exchange silently, more than a little surprised at how mild Inuyasha was being to Shippo. Then he had been so careful to make sure she was covered and held protectively in the circle of his arms, "I really scared you, didn't I?"  
  
Shippo kept a watchful eye on Inuyasha as he scampered up to Kagome, and climbed into her lap to curl up in a ball with his face all but buried in her stomach. His hands fisted in the blanket as he began to shake, tears pouring down his cheeks as he released the full week of terror and frustration, "You... looked dead!"  
  
Kagome winced, but tried to smile as she lifted her hand to stroke Shippo's head, the motion pulling her already stressed injuries, "Inuyasha said I still do. Don't cry, Shippo-chan, I'm going to be fine."  
  
Inuyasha grunted in warning when the kit rose on his feet, but he only pressed his ear to her heart, trying not to notice the dark bruises over the exposed skin. Annoyed at how much everyone seemed to be ignoring him only to attempt to poke and prod at the girl, he hissed out, "She's not dying, runt."  
  
Shippo frowned up at Inuyasha, clutching tightly to Kagome and keeping his head pressed to her chest so he could listen to her heart. Slowly he took deep breaths, wanting to banish the smell of blood and scorched flesh from his memory completely. He finally began to calm down when Kagome's arm wrapped around him to hold him as well as she was able, "He threw me out!"  
  
"You jumped on her," the hanyou's brows lowered angrily and he growled at the kit. "I told everyone to stay out and you didn't listen. What the hell did you think I would do?"  
  
"Shippo-chan, Inuyasha, please don't argue like this," Kagome interrupted, frowning slightly when her head started to pound again. "My head... really hurts..."  
  
Inuyasha's ears flattened back and he pulled her back against his chest, running his hand through her hair soothingly, "Don't strain, Kagome. You're going to have do this nice and slow. Understood?"  
  
"Hai," she relaxed into him, simply too drained to really waste her energy on caring that she was only wearing a blanket. This was the one place in the world where she felt perfectly safe, protected...maybe even a little cherished. It took more effort than she wanted to use to get uselessly irritated over something so small, especially when he had been the only thing that kept her from dying.  
  
Inuyasha was looking down at Shippo, sighing in resignation as he massaged Kagome's neck lightly in one hand, "If he fell asleep any faster I'd be worried he was dead."  
  
Kagome was pulled from her thoughts, frowning when she felt the fog starting to slowly drift back over her. 'I'm getting as lazy as Buyo,' she thought in disgust, wrinkling her nose.  
  
A shiver went through her when she felt Inuyasha whisper softly in her ear, "You're about to drift off too, aren't you?"  
  
She blinked rapidly, but the fog stubbornly remained, "I think so..."  
  
"Get some rest then," Inuyasha instructed, that authoritative growl back in his voice. "I won't let anything happen to you."  
  
Kagome's eyes drifted closed, but she smiled against him warmly and murmured, "Arigatoo, Inuyasha. Will you remind me that I still have to thank you for saving my life again when I wake up? Please?"  
  
Inuyasha bit back a smile, turning his body and sliding back far enough that he could prop his back up against the wall comfortably. He'd ended up dragging half the futon with him by accident, awkwardly using one hand to wrap her in an almost makeshift bed in his lap. He had leaned back and closed his eyes himself before he answered, "I'll remember." 


	22. This would have been nice to know....

Standard disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi....  
  
A/N: Ugh...never EVER agree to help out when a bar fight ensues..*holding icepack on face and scowling at computer* Sorry about this one being a little later out than the others, but I was summoned and then things got ugly and I got stuck in the middle of it all...etc, etc...Couldn't sit down until later. ::cracking knuckles:: Now then, back to my writing.  
  
To settle the minds of all, I will STILL be posting as fast as I write a new chapter and that's one a day. I'm writing because I'm having a grand time with this story, and I'm not done yet! LOL, yikes, I knew I was gonna catch it for mentioning that. New threats even...now alandrem has invoked the evil mouse and Lina's got blunt chalk! That'll teach me to get caught away from a computer... O.o  
  
It's so killing me to see some of my own favorite authors telling me they love my stuff, but I'm not sure I should name names for fear of embaressing people. And then I have my adorable "baka imouto" and my lovely pack member..^_~ I love all you guys so much! Thank you so much to Ice'is Blue, Calendar, Lazuli, and InvisibleRain for helping me find little things that need fixing. You make my life so much easier...  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: This would have been nice to know....  
  
  
  
Kagome leaned heavily on Inuyasha's supporting arm as they made their way back from the river, shaking her head in self disgust, "I feel so worthless."  
  
She'd been determined to take a real bath after having spent not only her week unconscious with just Inuyasha's rub downs, but the past four days since she'd been able to stay awake longer than an hour or two as well. If she didn't recover soon, though, she might run out of ways to blush when it came to the hanyou.  
  
He was adamant about checking her injuries twice a day to reapply herbs and fresh bandages, but despite the interaction they'd had the first morning, he didn't show any outward reaction that he noticed how often he was seeing her naked. Actually, Inuyasha had only teased her once or twice about how pink he thought she could get when he was poking and prodding at her tender muscles. The rest of the time, he just seemed concerned with the injuries.  
  
How long could she stay embarassed when Inuyasha had been so... casual about the whole thing? He almost acted like it was the most natural thing in the world to be taking care of her when she was like this.  
  
Kagome was feeling guilty that he seemed to be doing everything for her and wanted to prove, at least to herself, that she wasn't completely helpless. That's when she'd decided she wanted to go to the river and take a real bath.  
  
But in the end, she'd had to ask for his help to do that as well.  
  
Kagome just didn't have the mobility or the strength yet to move her left arm properly, and with her entire body sore and aching, she didn't have the endurance either.  
  
Trying to bathe by herself had only lasted for a minute or two in the cold water before her legs had threatened to buckle. She'd argued with herself so briefly it was sick, more on principal than desire, calling out to Inuyasha where he sat on the bank with his back to her.  
  
To his credit, he hadn't said a word, just stripped out of his kimono and joined her. Whether it was because he knew how frustrated she was or he was just thinking about something else, he just squeezed her shoulder before sliding a supporting arm around her waist while he took over. As much as she tried to stay embarassed about the whole mess, she just couldn't. Inuyasha was being so attentive, always right there when she felt like she was about to drop and keeping her from hurting herself. He never said anything while he was doing it, and as frustrated as she was with her own condition, it felt good to be able to depend on Inuyasha.  
  
He'd even taken her through the well to get more pain-killers when she'd taken all the ones in her first-aid kit. For once, it was Kagome who didn't want to stay. She worried about how she'd explain away the injuries or keep her mother from taking her to a hospital where there would definitely be too many questions... But her family had been out and Inuyasha had her back through the well with more supplies in less than an hour.  
  
"You're supposed to," Inuyasha responded with a smirk, bringing her attention back to the present.  
  
She shook off her thoughts and gave him a dry look, "Thanks, Inuyasha, that makes me feel so much better."  
  
Chuckling, he urged her closer so he could tuck her against his side, "You'd feel even better if you let me carry you. You're still too pale."  
  
"If I don't at least TRY to walk I'm afraid I'll turn into a sponge or something," Kagome made a face, concentrating on keeping her legs steady.  
  
"You're healing a lot faster than most humans would," he offered, catching her when she stumbled. Shaking his head at her stubbornness, he bent to slide an arm beneath her knees and lift her against his chest despite her half-hearted protest, "But if you don't let me take care of you, it'll take longer."  
  
Kagome let out a heavy sigh, "It's not fair to make you do all this."  
  
Inuyasha gave her an annoyed look, "Kagome, you almost died. You have to give yourself time."  
  
"YOU'D be healed by now," she tugged on his hair.  
  
"I'm a fucking hanyou, and you're-!" he growled down at her, stopping when he saw her lips twitch in amusement. "Bitch," Inuyasha flashed her a smirk.  
  
"That's better," Kagome leaned her head against him and yawned. "I was starting to get worried that I'd never get my regular Inuyasha back."  
  
She'd said "my," the smirk turned into a full grin and he shifted her closer, "Weird voices trying to get you to kill yourself AND me seem to bring that out."  
  
"Actually, Inuyasha, I think it's about time for us to talk about that," Kagome chewed on her lower lip nervously even as she let out a resigned sigh.  
  
**  
  
"What the fuck do you mean you're hearing two different voices?!" Inuyasha was on his feet, hands fisted on his hips as he scowled down at her. "How long have you been hearing them?" Without waiting for a response he started pacing back in forth in front of her and growling, "Dammit, Kagome, I told you over and over again to tell me if anything else happened and you kept saying that was all!! Were you planning on lying forever about this too, or were you just waiting until something almost killed you?!"  
  
Kagome frowned up at him, instantly defensive, "I DID tell you! Don't you remember how I told you I heard a voice when we fought those youkai? You never asked about it after that so I figured you weren't worried about it!" not a total lie, she told herself with a grimace.  
  
Inuyasha set his jaw, ears flattening back as he tried to recall if she really had told them about a voice, "You'd just been fucking possessed! How the hell was I supposed to be thinking about every little thing you said? I was only thinking about getting whatever the hell it was out of you!"  
  
Shippo had reattached himself to Kagome the moment she returned, although he was careful not to leap at her with Inuyasha hovering close beside her. At the moment he was sitting in quiet contentment in her lap while she rubbed his head, but one look at the hanyou's scowl had him rising to Kagome's defense, "Oi, I remember her saying that! Maybe if you listened once in a while instead of-!"  
  
Inuyasha's warning growl cut him off with a squeak, sending the kit burrowing down in Kagome's lap. Miroku cleared his throat to stop the hanyou from doing more and focused his attention on Kagome's pale, bruised face. Arguing wouldn't help and they needed to get back to their major concern, "Kagome-sama, how often do you hear these voices?"  
  
Kagome sighed deeply, avoiding Inuyasha's searching gaze as she responded, "The first one... I don't know if it's a man or a woman, but it's talked to me a few times when I'm asleep. The other," she stopped, her eyes growing pained before she forced herself to go on. "The first time I heard it was that night, and it was definitely a man."  
  
"A few times?" Inuyasha growled, dropping down on his haunches in front of her and cupping her chin in his hand. "Why the hell didn't you say something the other times? Even if you mentioned it after the fucking youkai, didn't you think it was important if it happened again?"  
  
Kagome winced when she lifted her hand, but stubbornly continued the motion to brush her hand over his cheek in an attempt to cool the anger in his gleaming eyes, "Well, at first I thought I was just dreaming..."  
  
Sango raised a brow at the absent motion between the two, but simply filed her questions away for a better time and focused on the immediate problem, "When did you know you weren't dreaming?"  
  
"It felt too real," she shook her head, letting out a quiet sound of discomfort as she lowered her hand. "And it kept getting stronger, more like I was really there," she peeked at Inuyasha nervously to check for his reaction.  
  
Inuyasha sat silently, folding his arms across his chest as he carefully schooled his face into a blank expression, but the muscle flexing in his cheek gave away his inner tension, "Was that voice telling you to kill me too?"  
  
To his surprise, Kagome blushed lightly and looked away, but not before he saw the guilt in her eyes, "Not exactly."  
  
He caught her chin again lightly and brought her face forward again, frowning as he demanded in a quiet tone, "What did this other voice say?"  
  
"Ah... it actually told me... to stay in your range of spirit," her tone of voice was almost apologetic as she managed to get the last out in a rush.  
  
Inuyasha's eyes widened in surprise. Whatever he'd been expecting her to say, that wasn't it, but it did explain why she didn't want to tell him about it. However, his expression darkened in disapproval, if the voice had given her that advice she should have told him right away. Especially considering her condition now, it was obvious he needed to make her understand that she couldn't keep things like this from him.  
  
Miroku collected his thoughts first and beat the hanyou to the next question, "Did it say why?"  
  
Kagome bit her lip, her eyes jumping around the room to settle on anything besides Inuyasha, "It said that the spell they cast on me was having a...reaction to my magic and if I stayed by Inuyasha then it would be safer."  
  
"Kagome-sama, do you mean to say you knew what the spell was and you didn't tell us?" the monk shook his head in disbelief before giving her a frown that was almost identical the one on Inuyasha's face.  
  
"No, I didn't! I don't!" she hurried out, hissing when she tensed and accidentally pulled her wounds, muscles spasming painfully at her agitation.  
  
Inuyasha growled, dropping into a cross-legged position and lifting her into his lap in a single motion, "Fuck, Kagome, will you stop squirming around like that? If you open any of your wounds the old hag may have to sear them again!"  
  
Kagome went still, taking deep breaths and trying hard to ease the tension in her body at mention of that. She'd been asleep the last time and if she had her way, she'd never have to be awake for something like that. It had been bad enough to see Inuyasha's reaction when he told her what they'd done to treat her.  
  
"That's better," he grumbled when she relaxed against him, his hand absently resting at her hip with his palm over the tattoo. "Now, what the fuck did that voice say was happening?"  
  
"Really, Kagome-chan, if you tell us we can help," Sango added when Kagome hesitated, her eyes uncertain and concerned.  
  
"Inuyasha?" Kagome pressed her face into his haori, silently praying for cooperation.  
  
"What?" Inuyasha grunted, rubbing his hand up and down her spine.  
  
"I think...some of it needs to be private," she shot her friends an apologetic glance.  
  
"The hell it does," he snarled, pulling back to look directly at her eyes. "With what happened, Kagome, I can't let you keep something secret that could keep me from protecting you again. That means everything you know, you're going to tell me. You can't possibly think-"  
  
"I meant private between you and me," she corrected, her hands fisting in her lap on either side of the curious kitsune. "I think some of it needs to just be between us."  
  
"Oh," Inuyasha blinked in surprise, the wind of his arguement getting taken away so abruptly he was momentarily at a loss for words. Between the two of them? That was perfectly acceptable to him so long as she didn't think she could get away with half-truths or anything...  
  
Kagome looked up at Miroku and Sango while Inuyasha was collecting his thoughts, "It said that I'm absorbing the energy around me, but that it's safe to be around Inuyasha. It told me that I balance with him, and if I leave his aura or got angry that something else would be able to take hold."  
  
"Something did," Inuyasha growled low in his throat and pointed out. "So just so I understand... THIS voice told you to stay close and the first thing you fucking did was run off?!"  
  
"Mou, it said the same thing," she rolled her eyes in annoyance before shaking her head and insisting. "I didn't think anything like that would happen...!"  
  
"Did it tell you what would happen or did it just tell you to stay with Inuyasha?" Miroku pressed, curious at the odd layers this spell seemed to incorporate.  
  
"No," Kagome shook her head, her fingers flexing nervously. "It just said that it didn't want me hurt and it had cast the spell trying to 'make things clearer' for me. It never really explains anything to me... It just tells me what to do all the time," she was frowning by the end of that voiced observation.  
  
Shippo made a face and tugged at the shirt she was wearing, "That sounds like Inuyasha."  
  
Inuyasha made a grab for the kit and missed when he scrambled to one side, "You little bastard! I'm not the one doing this shit!"  
  
"Inuyasha, can we please just wait for Kagome-sama to finish before you try and attack Shippo?" Miroku gave the hanyou a dry look before sighing and looking at Kagome. "What about the second voice? Did you hear that with the youkai as well?"  
  
Kagome hunched in on herself, "I...didn't hear it until Kikyou attacked me. I think."  
  
Sango's fist clenched at the mention of the undead miko, "Inuyasha said it was trying to get you to kill him."  
  
"Not at first," she pressed her cheek to Inuyasha's shoulder, as though trying to hide from the conversation even as she answered their questions. "First it was telling me to give up. It kept whispering that I should just let Kikyou win and take back my soul."  
  
Inuyasha's chest was instantly rumbling in a deadly growl, "When I find him, I'm going to tear out his fucking throat."  
  
A tiny smile touched Kagome's lips at that, and she couldn't help but try and shift closer just to feel him curl his arm around her shoulders possessively, "I got angry... And it seemed like the more angry I got, the less pain I felt and the more I felt like I could kill her instead of her killing me. I wanted her dead and then Inuyasha came..."  
  
He squeezed her gently, "It's okay, Kagome, it's over. That fucking bastard won't get in your head again if I have anything to do with it."  
  
Miroku paused for a moment out of respect for the intensity in Inuyasha's promise before he softly inquired, "What did it do when Inuyasha came?"  
  
Inuyasha was the one who answered, shaking his head at Kagome and glaring at the monk, "It tried to get her to kill me until we got her back under control. That's all you need to know. Kagome's not up for this yet, I'm taking her to bed."  
  
Sango coughed lightly and despite the gravity of the situation, Miroku's face lit with a perfectly wicked grin as he sat back, "Why, Inuyasha, I had no idea..."  
  
"Not like that, you fucking lech!" Inuyasha snarled out, even as Kagome buried her face against his shoulder with a strangled gasp, her cheeks nearly as red as Inuyasha's kimono. Rising to his feet with Kagome cradled to his chest, he growled at the monk and stormed past him, "I wouldn't think you'd even consider something like that with Kagome in this condition."  
  
Sango smacked Miroku upside the head when she heard the loud stomping lead back to the room Inuyasha seemed to have claimed temporarily, "Inuyasha's right, houshi-sama! What on earth are you thinking saying that?"  
  
Miroku rubbed his head and gave her an innocent look, "What did I do?!" 


	23. Joined at the hip...

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and co belong to Rumiko Takahashi....  
  
A/N: Aiiee!! I'm so sorry I worried everyone with that late chapter! To answer a couple inquires, no I'm not all that badly banged up, just a lovely shiner and some other small bruises. LOL, not the first fight I've helped break up and probably not the last either... Eep! A lemon?? Ano..chotto... this is the first time I've written a fanfic! I'm so blown away by how many reviews I have that I'm getting dizzy!  
  
*giggle* Imouto-chan! Trying to annoy me, ne? S'okay, as long as you're having fun feel free. I'm still getting such fabulous reviews that I look permanently sunburned! From everybody! Like Airy, Ice'is Blue and Lina, and my most avid pesterer InvisibleRain...Eikos even logged in at school! LOL, this is so flattering.... I'm so delighted everyone's enjoying the story, and I'd love to name everyone(especially the sweet emailers), but I need room for the story! ::ahem:: Now that I have a new threat, squeegie children from Vitani FyreWolf, no less...in addition to the blunt chalk, sporks, and a rabid otaku.. o_O I'm terrifed of what would happen if I really stopped.. ^_~  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Joined at the hip...  
  
  
  
"Why didn't you want me to tell you what happened with Kikyou?" Kagome asked in surprise as Inuyasha carefully set her down on the futon he'd been sharing with her. "I thought you said you wanted to know everything that happened."  
  
Inuyasha sighed and leaned over to pluck Shippo out of her lap, ignoring the kit's yelp of protest, "I do want you to tell me everything, but you said some of it needs to be private. I think that part qualifies as what needs to be between us."  
  
"Iie! I don't wanna go!" Shippo squirmed in the hanyou's hold, sending Kagome a pleading look. "Let go, you jerk! Kagome, don't let him make me leave!"  
  
Inuyasha grunted in irritation at the high-pitched screaming and lifted the baby youkai up to eye-level, "Dammit, brat, give us a while to talk about this! Kagome and I need to be alone."  
  
"Shippo-chan, there really are some things I have to tell Inuyasha. Just Inuyasha," Kagome quickly added before the kitsune could protest. "But I promise I'll call for you as soon as we're done talking and you can stay after that, okay?"  
  
Inuyasha shot her a speaking glare, but she just frowned stubbornly until he dropped the kit and turned his back on them, "Keh."  
  
"You promise?" Shippo insisted, his little hands fisting at his sides in indecision. "I can stay and you won't let him kick me out?"  
  
"I promise," she nodded, holding out a hand to beckon the kit back to her. Shippo rushed over without a second's hesitation, climbing back into her lap so she could pat him on the head. "I'll even make sure Inuyasha doesn't throw you out tonight," she smiled down at his hopeful, upturned face.  
  
"Now wait just a minute-!" Inuyasha sputtered out, whirling back to Kagome angrily.  
  
"Hurray!" Shippo's face broke into a huge grin and he leapt up to point triumphantly at the hanyou. "Nya! I'm sleeping with Kagome tonight!"  
  
Inuyasha's brow twitched and he again leaned down to grab the kit by the tail and lift him off Kagome's lap. Ignoring Shippo's muttered curses and threats, he crossed the room and silently tossed him out into the hall before slamming the door closed. That done, he turned around and glared at Kagome in disapproval, "And just what the fuck possessed you to promise him something like that?"  
  
Kagome blinked up at him in surprise, shrugging as she answered, "Shippo always sleeps with me, Inuyasha, you know that. He's been used to it for two years, and I don't want to hurt his feelings by telling him no. It never bothered you before... What's gotten into you?"  
  
He gave the door one more glare before moving back to sit across from her on the futon, his knees lightly touching hers. With his arms folded in his "no-arguements" pose, he growled at her matter-of-factly, "Now you sleep with me. Next time you offer to let Shippo in with us, you should make sure it's okay with me first."  
  
Kagome gaped at him, a wide variety of emotions chasing across her face before her cheeks went bright red and she hissed out, "Inuyasha!!"  
  
"What?" Inuyasha shrugged, confused at her response. "I've been sleeping with you for weeks, even before you were hurt. Did you think that was going to change? I'm keeping you beside me, Kagome."  
  
Kagome lifted her uninjured hand and rubbed the bridge of her nose, "I am NOT having this conversation."  
  
"Good, because there isn't a conversation to have," he reached out and took her hand, moving it away from her face and smirking at the dry look she gave him. He would have thought she was over this shyness, but then again, he still found the blushes absolutely adorable...  
  
Shaking his head to dispel those thoughts when he had more important questions, he covered their hands with his other one, "Now tell me what it was that you thought needed to be private. What did the voices tell you?"  
  
The look she gave him told him that she was in no way finished with his comments on their sleeping arrangements, but she knew he deserved to have his questions answered this time. With that in mind, she set her jaw and sighed out, "The voice said some... other things, but they were more personal. I didn't want to say them in front of Sango and Miroku-sama."  
  
Inuyasha frowned, cocking his head to one side as he thought about that, "Go on."  
  
Kagome looked down at her lap, lacing her fingers with his as she gathered her courage to explain, "Do you remember how I wanted you to remind me to thank you for saving my life?"  
  
"Of course I do," he shook his head, even more confused now at the hesitation in her voice. Was it really so bad to make her this nervous about telling him? "What does that have to do with the voice?"  
  
"The first one told me...that it had connected me to you," she replied, taking a bracing breath as she tried to guess how Inuyasha was going to react to hearing all this. She was worried, but she needed help... these voices were getting completely out of hand, "It said that with as much blood as I lost fighting Kikyou, my heart should have stopped."  
  
Inuyasha's hands tightened on hers, "It didn't! You're still alive."  
  
"No, it didn't," she frowned when she felt the tattoo begin to pulse, gently at first, but then with increasing speed and heat. "It said the only reason it didn't was that you stayed with me. It said that my heartbeat was following yours; your heart was beating for mine..."  
  
"My heart?" his brows rose sharply, his voice thick with surprise.  
  
Kagome nodded, a light blush on her cheeks as she smiled at him tenatively, "It said that if you had left me, my heart wouldn't have had anything to follow and it would have stopped. You were the only thing that kept me from dying."  
  
Inuyasha's arms were around her, dragging her into his lap so fast that if she blinked she would have missed seeing him move. He pressed his face into the curve of her neck, letting out a heavy breath as he held her close. She had no idea how he'd managed to do it without something pulling or twinging, but even then he had been remarkably gentle with her.  
  
For a long moment he didn't say a word, just held her close and breathed deeply in an effort to calm his racing heart, 'If I'd left... Kagome would have died...'  
  
"Inuyasha?" Kagome was worried at the silence, awkwardly lifting her good arm to stroke his hair in the same way he'd been doing for her recently in an effort to calm him. She could feel the tautness in his limbs, the faint trembling that she likely would have missed were she not so sensative when it came to the hanyou. "Are you all right?" she asked softly.  
  
A shudder wracked through him from top to bottom before he gritted out between clenched teeth, "Fuck, how can you even ask me that?!" He lifted his head, moving back only enough to look at her face, "Dammit, Kagome, it would have so fucking easy to lose you and not even realize it! It would have been my fault if you'd died and you ask me if I'm fucking all right!?"  
  
Kagome opened her mouth, but closed it again quickly at the ferocity of his glowing eyes, her own wide as he held her gaze effortlessly.  
  
"Do you know how many times the others tried to get me to put you down that night?" he cupped her face in his hands and growled out, his voice almost too quiet to hear. "Or even after that? They were constantly telling me to take a fucking break and leave you with them. If I'd listened once...ONCE, Kagome... If that voice is right, you'd be dead now," closing his eyes and pressing his forehead to hers.  
  
"But you stayed," she murmured, closing her own eyes as she felt the tears rising in response to the pain in his voice. "You didn't let me die, Inuyasha. You kept me safe..."  
  
"Can you even imagine how fucking glad I am that I told them to go to hell?" he continued as though she hadn't spoken. "How fucking-"  
  
Kagome tilted her head and very gently pressed her lips to his to cut off the flow of words. The moment she touched him, Inuyasha's hands slid deep into her hair, fisting to hold her still while he took the lead. The kiss turned consuming, intense and frantic as he poured out his frustration and fears into her mouth through his own. Kagome responded easily, leaning into him with her hand sliding down to rest lightly on his cheek as she tried to convey whatever comfort he was looking for in the devouring kiss.  
  
Inuyasha was the one to break the searing contact, panting lightly as he pressed her face into his throat, his body trying to curl around hers in an instinctive protective motion. He held her still, his heart racing even more frantically than before and blood pounding in his ears as he tried to calm himself. It took everything he had not to just drag her to him and let himself get lost in that almost drugging warmth she offered, reassure them both that she was alive and well. The strain of holding back made his voice a barely recognizable growl when he demanded, "What else did it tell you, Kagome?"  
  
Kagome was shaking with the after-effects of that kiss, feeling like her head was swimming, but she cleared her throat and did her best to gather her thoughts and answer, "It...ah, it said that it's still doing it. It told me that your soul won't let go of mine even though I'm healing."  
  
Inuyasha very carefully moved his hand down to hover over the healing wound at her side, "How?"  
  
"It didn't know," she turned her face so she could rest her cheek on his shoulder. "It was surprised you had done it, and it was saying it was trying to figure it out. And that it was your soul that kept the others from getting into my head. So when I left you and then got mad, it was like I was inviting the other one in."  
  
"It's not your fault, Kagome," Inuyasha's hold on her tightened, his mind reeling with implications. Had that weird monk just been trying to connect Kagome to him? She'd said the magic was distorted by her own, so was it really meant to be an innocent spell at the start? But why the hell would some future monk be trying to connect them? One thing was certain... If this voice was telling Kagome that he was the thing keeping out the one that had tried to kill her, AND him, he had even more reason to keep her close.  
  
Kagome gave a short, bitter laugh, "Yes it is. If I'd listened to it, to you, and stayed close this never would have happened. But I went for a walk and then I got attacked and... It told me not to get angry, but I did, and I... I listened to the other voice. To that man..."  
  
Inuyasha was growling again at the reminder of the second, more destructive voice, "What did HE say? When I found you, what did he say to you to send you over the edge like that and attack?"  
  
Kagome shivered, pressing herself against him for comfort as she remembered what she'd done, and what she could have done if Inuyasha hadn't stopped her, "At first it was just whispering...telling me I was weak. When you came it changed into the man's voice. He..."  
  
When her voice broke, he turned his head to rub his cheek against her hair, a soothing rumble in his throat as he stroked her back, "It's all right, Kagome. You can tell me. I'll be able to make sure it doesn't happen to you again."  
  
It might not have been completely true or at least no something he could be certain of, but Kagome took comfort in it anyway. Sighing deeply, she inhaled Inuyasha's warm, earthy scent, still more than a little amazed that it was so easy when it used to seem so subtle. She pressed her cheek to his chest to hide her face before she spoke, "He was telling me that you wanted me dead. You'd stopped me from killing Kikyou so she could kill me and the two of you could be together."  
  
Inuyasha snarled violently, yanking back and grabbing her chin to look down at her with his eyes glowing fiercely, "Dammit, Kagome, you listened to that shit? What the fuck were you thinking?"  
  
"I WASN'T thinking right, dammit!" she flinched away from the anger in his voice and snapped back defensively. "I was shot and all I saw was that you'd stopped me and Kikyou attacked me again! Then I saw you and her so close and he was in my head telling me that if I killed you he'd come for me. He kept telling me that he wouldn't think I was a copy and that he would..."  
  
Inuyasha's eyes gleamed dangerously, "He would...?"  
  
"He said he would love me," she answered in a low voice, still more than a little disturbed by that and worried at what the hanyou would say when he heard that. "He wanted me to stay angry and use that to keep a hold on my strength. And he said not to touch you or let you touch me. He said that you would try to kill me."  
  
Inuyasha's eyes hardened dangerously, his lips pulling back in a deadly snarl as he pulled her tightly against him, "No one is going to take you from me, Kagome."  
  
Kagome closed her eyes, her hands clenching so tightly in his haori that her knuckles turned white, "He wanted me to kill you... I would have..."  
  
"No, you wouldn't have," he soothed insistanly when he smelled the fear enter her scent, his ears flattening back as he pressed her face against his throat again. "I told you I'm not letting anything happen to you and I mean it. Just calm down, koibito, calm down."  
  
Kagome obediently took deep breath, closing her eyes and burrowing down into his comforting warmth. Under Inuyasha's softly murmured encouragement, the panic slowly eased until she had herself back until control. Breathing deeply, she managed to offer, "If you hadn't used your word, I don't know what would have happened."  
  
Inuyasha let his lips quirk in a small smile, relieved that she was calming, "Well, it's only fair right? You've used yours to save me from time to time."  
  
Kagome frowned as a thought occured to her and she leaned back to look up at Inuyasha with surprise on her face, "He didn't know about it!"  
  
His eyes filled abruptly with confusion, "Know about what?"  
  
"The spell," she clarified. "He was pissed off because you subdued me. He said if he'd known you could do that he would have gotten me out of there before you could use it."  
  
Inuyasha went silent for a long moment, his hands fisting in her shirt as yet again his expression went dark with rage. The man the invaded her mind had intended to steal Kagome away, not just try to get her to kill him. Inuyasha felt his slowly blood heat with the instinctive desire to roar out his intent to rip the unknown man apart for even thinking he could take something that belonged to him.  
  
Unable to stop the violent growl rising from deep in his gut, he repeated slowly, "Would have gotten you out of there?"  
  
Kagome's eyes sparkled with unshed tears as she whispered, "He said he'd come for me after I killed you. When you touched me, he was screaming in my head, and I was in... so much pain. But the longer you held me, the less I could hear him. It wasn't until you pushed him out that I could feel I was hurt. Something he did blocked it out..."  
  
Inuyasha moved one hand down to her hip, his fingers flexing over the tattoo before he raised it to press his palm over her heart. His eyes burned into hers, holding her with the intensity when she would have turned away. He bent his head to give her a quick, hard kiss, "It won't happen again, Kagome. There's no fucking way I'm letting him come after you. That's a promise."  
  
Transfixed by the look in his eyes, she could only nod when he continued to watch her expectantly. Wide-eyed, she stared up at him as he lifted his hand from her heart to stroke it over her face. He leaned in close again, his hand moving to cup her cheek, but when he stopped a breath away from her she whispered uncertainly, "Inu...yasha...?"  
  
"You belong to me." 


	24. Over balanced....

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and co belong to Rumiko Takahashi...  
  
A/N: Eep, I just realized that I might have confused some people with the bar thing (sorry Stormie!)... *Quick personal note to clear that up:* my roommate is a bar manager and he likes to summon me for cheap help when he needs it. He likes to use me as a bouncer most of the time because (he says) I'm a tough short chick and he gets a kick out of watching me "keep the peace." *shrug* I really don't get it, but hey, it keeps me in shape, and I box amongst other things, so I'm used to a bruise or two.  
  
Oookay, I've had a request to make up some kind of message board or ML or something for you guys, but I wanted to see what everybody thought about that before I consider it... Now then, to address a few questions. Yep, this is my first ever attempt at writing a fanfic, just posted on a lark while I was painting. Also, I really don't have an exact NUMBER for how many chapters this will be. As far as the story goes, imouto-chan, I'd have to say it's around the middle, although I could shorten it if I need to. J Ehe, it seems like I get a new threat everyday!! Now Waku-chan's brandishing inflatable spatulas, Lauren broke out a whip, and Hikaru found a plastic sword! And now InvisibleRain is telling on me... ::sweatdrop:: I get the hint! I'll keep writing, I swear! HOLY F@#%!!! 500 reviews?! ::drops dead in utter shock:: I...I just can't believe it.... I SO love you all, you haven't got the slightest idea how much!! ::blowing kisses like mad::  
  
Extra special thanks to Cherry Blossom for editing for me to cut down the spelling errors that have been bothering some of ya! ^_~  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Over balanced...  
  
  
  
'Did he mean it? Really mean it? Or is it just everything that's happened?' Kagome cast a furtive glance at where Inuyasha was speaking in low tones with Kaede, Miroku, and Sango. Shippo was sprawled on his back over her lap, purring as she rubbed his stomach much as she did for Buyo at her home. Apparantly baby kitsunes enjoyed tummy rubs just as much as fat, lazy cats, she thought with a little smile. That thought brought another to mind: would dog demons enjoy them that much too?  
  
She coughed lightly to cover her mild embarassement over that thought and forced her mind to move on to what was really dancing around in her head.  
  
Inuyasha had called her koibito... More seriously, he'd said she belonged to him.  
  
And he sounded like he really meant it.  
  
Kagome was still more than a little shocked at that proclamation, but wasn't she allowed to be? It was the last thing she'd expected to hear from him and she wasn't exactly sure what she was feeling now. It's not like it's and everyday thing that you have the guy you're crazy about say something...  
  
Kagome stopped in surprise, her eyes widening and her hand pausing as it rubbed Shippo's stomach at the small revelation her mind has just unexpectedly stumbled upon. She couldn't like him that much, could she? She knew she cared about him a great deal, but did he really mean THAT much to her now? He was rude, violent, insensative, overbearing, protective, sweet, gorgeous....  
  
She sighed in defeat, shoulders slumping, all right so she WAS absolutely crazy about Inuyasha, but didn't he care about her too? A least a little with how he was acting lately and what he'd said earlier? This wasn't just a one-sided thing, was it?  
  
Shaking her head, she let her eyes trail along his profile affectionately. She'd never dreamed he'd kiss her... 'Well, okay, sure I've daydreamed about it more than once, but daydreams were nothing compared to the reality,' her lips twitched faintly upwards in a shy smile.  
  
She could feel her lips tingling just with the memory of that last burning kiss they'd had, when she'd told him he was what kept her from dying. She just hadn't been able to resist when he'd been acting so upset, and the way he'd been holding her along with that gleam in his amber eyes. Desperate and relieved and terrified all at once, his voice so tight with emotions it had almost made her cry. And then all of that had been poured into her even more completely when he took over. She hadn't wanted that kiss to end...  
  
"Oi, Kagome, you have a funny look on your face, is something wrong?" Shippo chirped up innocently from her lap, narrowing his eyes speculatively up at her. "You aren't straining yourself or anything, are you?"  
  
Embarrassed at being caught fantasizing by the kitsune, she dropped her gaze from Inuyasha's profile and stammered out, "Nothing! I was just...just thinking, Shippo-chan!"  
  
Inuyasha glanced back at her, watching her fidget nervously for a moment and smirking. She'd been watching him steadily for a long time, he had felt it, and now she was refusing to look at him. A soft, pleased chuckle rumbled from his chest as he pondered what could cause that kind of response, 'She'd better still be thinking about that kiss. She started that one, and she didn't push me away.'  
  
"Inuyasha, please, this is serious," Kaede cleared her throat discreetly, drawing his attention back to their conversation. "You were saying that the spell connected you to Kagome? Did this person say anything else that could help us?"  
  
Inuyasha turned his thoughts regretfully away from his more enjoyable thoughts, but she was right, this was important and he could always focus on the kiss later tonight, "From what Kagome has told me, the first voice doesn't really sound dangerous... I don't trust it still, but at least it seems to be giving her information instead of trying to fucking get her killed."  
  
Miroku frowned thoughtfully, absently fingering the sealing beads on his cursed hand as he turned to the distracted girl, "Kagome-sama, you said it told you the spell was distorted. Did this... voice say how?"  
  
Kagome shook her head, fluffing Shippo's hair while the kit basked in the attention delightedly, "It just said that the ink they used in the tattoo was reacting differently than they thought it would. That it was my magic twisting the spell."  
  
"But it didn't know how?" he pressed for clarification.  
  
"No," her gaze slid to Inuyasha again, her eyes guilty and apologetic at the same time. "It just said that staying near Inuyasha would keep me safe. It wasn't until after...um, after I was hurt that it said why it was safe. That when it told me I was balancing with him. If I left it told me I would start absorbing others, but it didn't tell me how or why."  
  
"Balancing with Inuyasha," Kaede murmured, frowning in concern as she thought that over. "That would explain why there were two heartbeats when you were so badly injured. Kagome, do you realize how fortunate it was that you were under this spell when you were hurt?"  
  
Kagome nodded, lifting her hand from Shippo and lightly touching her wrapped shoulder before she answered softly, "I know it."  
  
Inuyasha cleared his throat, not wanting their companions to consider putting Kagome at fault inadvertently, "That's not important right now."  
  
Sango's hands fisted on her thighs as she looked from Kagome to Inuyasha, her brow furrowed at the thought of her being so close to death, "I just can't believe-"  
  
"I said it's not important," Inuyasha shot her a speaking glance, his eyes narrowed sharply. "She's alive, and now we have to figure out this spell so this doesn't happen again," his hand clenched into a fist at his waist.  
  
"I'm all right now, Sango-chan," Kagome interjected, smiling at her friend with warm reassurance when she continued to look uncertain. "Really, Inuyasha wouldn't let anything happen to me. It was my fault it... got so out of control," her gaze turned introspective, shoulders hunching and making her look almost fragile, vulnerable.  
  
"Kagome," Inuyasha shook his head and turned his glare on her. "We've talked about this. It isn't your fault."  
  
Miroku held up a hand to forestall what seemed about to turn into another full blown arguement between the two, "Kagome-sama, Inuyasha is right. You can't blame yourself for what has occurred. Had this monk not cast the spell we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place."  
  
"Still-" she started.  
  
"Stop it," Inuyasha all but barked at her, his brows lowering to turn the glare into an all out scowl. "I mean it, Kagome, don't even think like that."  
  
Obediently she didn't say another word, but Inuyasha shook his head and sighed deeply at the guilty look that still graced her expression. It was going to take a lot of work before she stopped thinking this was her fault and he was starting to believe Kagome was even more stubborn about taking blame than he was. That thought didn't sit very well with him.  
  
Inuyasha was rather suddenly distracted from his thoughts, frowning when he felt a familiar and unwelcome shiver run through him, "Damn, not now!"  
  
Kagome looked at him, surprised by the anger in his low grumble, "Inuyasha? What is it?"  
  
The hanyou hopped to his feet and stalked to the window, pulling aside the covering to glare out at the sunset accusingly. When he started swearing beneath his breath, slapping a hand against the wall beside the window, Miroku's eyes lit with understanding. His eyes turned sympathetic as he commented, "Ah, it's the new moon, isn't it, Inuyasha?"  
  
Kagome's mouth opened once and closed while she mentally berated herself for losing track of the days. Normally she was so careful to remember when Inuyasha became human, "Oh."  
  
"Forget it," he muttered in annoyance, dropping the curtain back into place and returning to his previous position with a huff. "It doesn't matter. We have more important things to worry about than the fucking moon."  
  
Shippo frowned when he felt a pulse next to his head, turning to find the source of the gentle beat. When Kagome grunted and reached down to absently rub her hip, an odd twinge shifted into her scent and made his eyes widen, "Um...Kagome?"  
  
"Just a minute, Shippo-chan," she took her hand from her hip to pat his head, frowning at Inuyasha's set expression curiously.  
  
It was strange, but for a moment she could have sworn she actually "felt" the frustration and anger that swamped the hanyou. At the same moment she'd felt the emotions tumble through her head, her hip had started to throb. First just a single, lurching pulse that turned into a steady throbbing, spreading heat slowly through her veins until she felt almost feverish. Her skin was tingling, sweat beading on her forehead and she absently flexed her hands in her lap, flinching when her injuries began to ache as well.  
  
"Perhaps if we can figure out what exactly they were trying to do and how it distorted, we can reverse it and remove the risk to Kagome," Kaede shook her head, rising to her feet and moving back towards the bedrooms of her hut with measured steps. "Kagome, if you hear this voice again, try to find out more of what it was trying to do to you."  
  
Kagome nodded, fighting the urge to grab at her shoulder and side when they spasmed painfully, "I will."  
  
Inuyasha's lips twitched briefly, momentary amusement covering his irritation at the moon's cycle, "Do we have to reverse all of it?"  
  
"Sit," Kagome's eyebrow twitched in annoyance, snorting at him when he was instantly flattened. She quickly held up her good hand when he turned his head towards her from his prone position, eyes glittering with promise. "I'm hurt! Don't do it!" she reminded, her own eyes sparkling with amusement at the way his face fell. It was like a little kid being told he couldn't have his way.  
  
Inuyasha scowled at her again and warned, "Don't think I'm forgetting this, Kagome. As soon as your well-"  
  
"You may not forget, but I'll have weeks before you can do anything about it," she smiled softly in delight, letting her hand drop back to her lap when another twinge went through her injuries. That had momentarily taken her attention off the rising heat spreading in her blood, but she frowned again when Inuyasha turned away, pressing her hand hard against her hip at the intensifying sensation.  
  
It was pulsing insistently now, making it impossible for her to focus on the conversation between the others when the throb echoed in her healing wounds uncomfortably. Frustrated, she lifted her hand to her forehead to rub at the ache there, closing her eyes on a wave of dizziness while that bizarre itching grew more intense all along her skin. Her heart was thundering in her ears and abruptly, the sounds in the room rose in volume, making her head ache as her breath came in shorter pants.  
  
Shippo righted himself in a hurry to sit in her lap and tug at her shirt front, "Kagome?"  
  
"What is it, Shippo-chan?" she forced her eyes to open and focus on the concerned face below her.  
  
"What's wrong with you? You smell funny," he shook his head and pressed his ear to her chest before he looked back up at her and whispered. "And your heart feels wrong," he added, his voice uncertain and more than a little scared.  
  
"I-" she broke off with a grunt of pain, her fist clenching over her heart when it lurched painfully in her chest. Okay, enough was enough and she was definitely getting worried, "Inuyasha!?"  
  
Inuyasha's head snapped around at her frightened gasp, his eyes instantly concerned when he saw how pale her face had become, "Kagome?"  
  
"Something's wrong!" she shook her head, her eyes wide. "I feel...I feel so strange-!"  
  
"Fuck, it has to be the moon," he bit out, moving to her side and dropping down in front of her to take her chin in his hand, turning her face from side to side and studying her intently. She was hot to the touch, her skin damp with sweat as she trembled faintly with her breath coming in light pants. He slid his hand from her chin into her hair soothingly, calling back to where Kaede had paused, watching them with a grim expression on her weathered face. "Baba, if the spell has Kagome balancing with me, what will it do to her when I turn human? How will it 'balance' then?" he shot the old miko a look of poorly disguised concern and self-directed anger at failing to consider this sooner.  
  
Kaede frowned at him and shook her head, "I have no idea what the spell will do, Inuyasha. I don't know any more about it than you do, you know that."  
  
"Dammit all," Inuyasha brought his hand back up to Kagome's forehead, scowling when he felt the rise in her temperature just from what it had been a moment ago. Cursing the human blood dulling his senses, he demanded, "What do you feel, Kagome?"  
  
"Hot," she swallowed, leaning into his hand slightly at the cooler feel of his skin. Her eyes closed and she reached up to take his wrist in her hand, "And I'm... I don't know, I just... feel strange."  
  
The sun dipped below the mountains and Inuyasha started swearing blackly when he felt the change come over him. He glared angrily at his hand as his claws shrank down into blunt human nails, growling at the burning feeling sweeping through him with the weakening in his blood. He instantly stopped when he heard Kagome gasp, reaching out to catch her when she doubled over, hissing and clutching a hand to her heart.  
  
"Kagome!" he yelled in alarm even as he pulled her into his lap, forcing her still to keep her from opening her healing wounds. "Kagome, don't move, you'll hurt yourself," he pressed her close, wrapping his arms tightly around her.  
  
"Inuyasha, this...this really hurts..." she whispered into his neck, her body shaking as his hair leeched black and the last of his youkai blood waned.  
  
Miroku was on his feet with Sango in an instant, rushing over to them in an effort to do something to help their friend. Shippo rubbed his hand up and down on her stomach, hoping to bring her some measure of comfort from where he was sandwiched in between the now human hanyou and Kagome. His head was swimming with the confusing scents vibrating in the air between the two, Inuyasha's seemingly stuck in that weird state where he didn't smell like himself, but he didn't quite smell human either.  
  
"Kagome-sama!" Miroku bent down and reached for her, his face solemn.  
  
Inuyasha's response to the monk's attempt was to tuck Kagome more tightly against him, all but swallowing her up in the enveloping sleeves of his kimono and tucking her head under his chin. He twisted away from them, hiding her from view and hissing at them demandingly, "Don't! Don't fucking touch her!"  
  
Miroku's own temper finally snapped at Inuyasha's stubborn refusal to let him help and he yelled out, "Damn you, Inuyasha, let us do SOMETHING!"  
  
Sango was torn between gaping at the monk's outburst and doing some yelling of her own, but she finally shook her head and focused a frustrated look on the glaring human version of the hanyou, "He's right, Inuyasha, you have to let us help Kagome-chan!"  
  
"I can fucking handle this!" he snapped out at both of them defensively.  
  
Shippo's eyes went wide when Kagome shuddered again, letting out a soft, muffled whimper and burrowing deeper in Inuyasha's hold. The scents around the pair had cleared, "Oh SHIT!"  
  
"Please don't!" Kagome whispered out, her hand fisting against his chest. "It's too loud... It hurts!"  
  
The three instantly went silent, staring at the girl hiding her face with mixed expressions. Inuyasha went perfectly still, his eyes widening in alarm as he silently prayed he was wrong about what the spell might have done. Kagome shifted against him, rubbing her head under his chin when she turned to squint up at Miroku and Sango's confused, yet worried expressions.  
  
Inuyasha's eyes slid closed and he dropped his chin over her head, "Oh no... Oh fuck no...." 


	25. It had to go somewhere....

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi....  
  
A/N: *Muffling evil laughter* Okay, sue me, I am truly an evil puppy. I'm sorry, I just have to dedicate this one to Eikos butterfly for sending me E- Pocky.. ^_^ And to InvisibleRain for keeping on my tail all the time and making sure I'm writing. She's such a doll. Add Lina, SmartyCat, and Senay and I've got my daily motivators. *giggle* I love the emails I'm getting, they're all so unbelievably sweet! Someone even offered to make up a mailing list. o_O Believe me, I never expected this kind of response to my story! It makes me dizzy but at the same time, I'm having such a blast. Whoa...everything from bribes to threats to proposals! o.O I didn't think it was THAT bad... But honestly to everyone who's reviewing, I absolutely adore you! You make my days every time I sign on. LOL. And just because I promised InvisibleRain, I'll be posting a second chapter in a little while... I'll leave a better note (hopefully) with that one. ^_~ :::Blowing kisses:::  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: It had to go somewhere....  
  
  
  
Inuyasha lifted one hand tentatively to the top of Kagome's head, stroking it through her hair until his fingertips found exactly what he'd been hoping he wouldn't, "Fuck, this is not happening..."  
  
Ears.  
  
Kagome had his ears.  
  
They flattened down when she looked up at him, her right eye squinted completely shut and the left half-closed as though she was looking into something bright. The moment she felt the movement at the sides of her head, Kagome went so still she could have been a statue. On the heels of that, she began to shake, her hands curling into tight fists in his robes, and he grunted when he felt the sharp prick of claws against his skin, "I...Inu...yasha, do I-?"  
  
Inuyasha was just staring down at her as she trailed off, her voice pleading, whisper soft and horrified. His mouth was slightly open, eyes moving over her face in denial and disbelief as his hands moved up to cup her face carefully.  
  
Shippo tugged at her shirt front again, demanding attention as he announced, "Eew, Kagome, you...you smell like HIM!"  
  
Sango sat down rather abruptly, making Kagome wince at the sudden sound and turn her head, her eyes still nearly closed and blinking rapidly in an effort to focus as the exterminator choked out in surprise, "K-Kagome- chan?"  
  
Miroku stepped back, shaking his head and looking back and forth between the human Inuyasha and, if Shippo's yell was right, a hanyou Kagome, "This... this should not be possible..."  
  
Inuyasha's brows drew together as he slid his hand up to give into the sudden urge gripping him while he looked at his features on her head. Gently he touched one triangular ear, ignoring the others in the room completely as he marveled at the soft feel against his fingers. The ear twitched and flattened away from him and she grunted, "Don't do that! That tickles."  
  
Inuyasha's lips twitched in helpless amusement before he bit down to prevent the laughter from escaping and cleared his throat. Forcing himself to take on a more serious expression, he turned to give Shippo a hard glare, "Oi, brat, what do you mean she smells like me?"  
  
Shippo gave him a sour look over his shoulder, "Just what I said, jerk, she doesn't smell like herself anymore. She smells like you instead." He blinked suddenly, frowning and leaning closer to Inuyasha to take an obvious sniff before he flattened back against Kagome in alarm, "Hn?!"  
  
"What is it?" Inuyasha scowled, pulling Kagome back against him instinctively at the look on the kit's face.  
  
Shippo pointed at him accusingly, "Y...YOU....smell...like...like Kagome!?"  
  
Inuyasha stared at him blankly, then looked at Kagome and back down to kit in confusion, "Wh-what the hell are you talking about!?"  
  
"Kaede-sama, what's going on?" Sango put a hand to her head and turned her own confused gaze to the old miko. This was just too much to take in, and her head was already spinning from the emotional ups and downs of the last week and now this. Absently, she reached out for Miroku, her hand squeezing his arm in an unconscious request for support.  
  
Kaede shook her head, letting out a heavy sigh before she slowly turned her focus down to the shaking kitsune, "Shippo, what do you mean by that? Does Kagome smell like a hanyou?"  
  
He shook his head frantically, scaling Kagome's chest in a quick hop to hide under her hair when Inuyasha made a wild grab for his tail, "No! Damn, aren't you listening? She smells like Inuyasha is supposed to... They smell all wrong! It's...it's all backwards!"  
  
"Backwards?" Inuyasha made another grab for the kitsune, sending him scurrying down Kagome's back. "Get back here, runt, I'm not through with you!"  
  
Kagome squeezed her eyes shut when a shudder wracked through her from head to toe, giving a soft gasp and clamping her hand hard over her shoulder, "It burns...."  
  
Inuyasha glared at Shippo but turned his attention to the distressed girl, catching her white-knuckled hand with his and prying lightly, "Don't do that, Kagome! Let go... let me see it."  
  
Kagome opened her eyes and looked up at him, gritting her teeth, "Inuyasha, what's wrong with me?"  
  
Inuyasha sucked in a breath sharply, grabbing her face as his eyes bored hard into hers, calculating and more than a little disbelieving. His brows lowered slowly as he lifted his index finger and touched the corner of her right eye before he shook his head and swore blackly, "Baba, what the fuck is going on?"  
  
Miroku frowned, reaching up to give Sango's hand a reassuring squeeze in answer before he leaned around Inuyasha to look at Kagome's face. The bruises were fading rapidly, lightening even as he stared at her, but that wasn't what caught his attention.  
  
Kagome's right eye had turned amber.  
  
Confused, he grabbed the back of Inuyasha's hair and yanked, turning his face up so he could study it. Inuyasha let out an outraged yell that had Kagome cringing while Miroku rubbed his chin with his free hand and hummed to himself curiously, "Inuyasha, your eye has turned blue."  
  
Inuyasha's cursing cut off abruptly, his face twisting into frustrated annoyance, "Blue? What the hell are you talking about?"  
  
He nodded, giving his hair a tug that was hard enough to topple the human Inuyasha backwards, "As in blue like Kagome-sama's."  
  
Kagome squeaked in surprise, when Inuyasha fell, dragging her with him to sprawl against his chest, jarring her uncomfortably and knocking the breath out of his lungs. Startled and afraid she'd hurt him, she pushed herself up, reaching for Shippo to soothe him even as she looked down at Inuyasha in concern, "Are you okay?"  
  
Sango shook her head, completely fed up with Inuyasha's stubborn refusal to let them help. That fall should have hurt the younger girl far worse than she seemed to notice... Did that mean that for whatever reason, she was healing the same way Inuyasha would? She reached out to gently grasp her shoulder, "Kagome-chan... Would you... please let us see your injuries?"  
  
Kagome looked up at her in surprise, her hand moving off Shippo and moving down to her side. Inuyasha had surprisingly gone quiet, propping himself up on his elbows and watching her with narrowed eyes as her fingers hovered over the worst of her wounds. She frowned, but lifted the edge of her shirt, her abdomen contracting in surprise when she felt the tips of her new-grown claws graze her stomach.  
  
Her gaze leapt to Inuyasha as her cheeks turned pink before she dropped then back to her lap and fumbled with the bandage. He arched one brow in speculation at the blush, but shook it aside and frowned at her clumsy attempts, "Fuck, Kagome, just cut it! Here, I'll show you," he sat up, reaching out to grab her wrist.  
  
Kagome jumped at the contact, her eyes still glued to the bloody bandage as he took her fingers and eased them down through the fabric as though they were his own. She sucked in a breath and he stopped, "Did I cut you?"  
  
"No, no, nothing like that," Kagome shook her head, for once incredibly grateful that Inuyasha was human. If he was normal he would surely have heard her heart pounding by now, even without the blush staining her cheeks. "I'm okay," she insisted when he continued to look uncertain.  
  
Shippo leaned back, giving her a narrow look before he hopped onto Inuyasha's head and leaned forward to put his nose to hers. Kagome gulped at his suspicious glare, backing away nervously when the kit looked from her face down to where Inuyasha had taken her hand away and finished slicing the bandages. His face suddenly broke into a huge grin and he started to giggle, "Oh."  
  
"What the fuck do you mean, 'oh?'" Kagome growled defensively, instantly slapping a hand over her mouth at the sound of her own voice.  
  
Shippo burst into full blown laughter while Inuyasha looked up quickly, his own lips twitching suspiciously and eyes sparkling. She glared at them both while Miroku coughed into his hand, to hide his own amused smile, "Kagome-sama, are you absolutely certain you are feeling all right."  
  
"Fine," she grumbled, refusing to meet their eyes stubbornly.  
  
Sango glanced at Inuyasha's shaking shoulders and Miroku's averted face, feeling the errant laugh bubbling in her own throat at such an "Inuyasha" reaction out of Kagome. Clearing her throat to sqelch the urge to join in their laughter, she knelt beside Inuyasha and leaned forward to watch as he gingerly peeled away the bandage.  
  
Kagome looked down, wincing once when the dried blood stuck, but shaking her head at Inuyasha's questioning gaze, "It just burns...you're not hurting me."  
  
Inuyasha frowned as he looked down at the healing wound and gently prodding it, "Burns how?"  
  
"Tingling...really hot," she bit her lip nervously, yelping when she felt what was definitely a fang. "Dammit!"  
  
Shippo hopped back to her shoulder, giving the "humans" a sly look before he leaned up to whisper in Kagome's ear, "I'm gonna tell Inuyasha."  
  
"Don't you dare," she twisted to growl at him, her eyes narrowing.  
  
He was giggling again when Inuyasha glanced up at them for a moment before turning his attention back to the lightly pulsing wound, "No offense, Kagome, but it's cute when you do that."  
  
Kagome squeezed her eyes shut, silently counting to ten as she fought the urge to scream, "Cute?"  
  
"Calm down," Inuyasha's hand on her face had her eyes flying open to look at him again. He had pressed his other palm lightly over her side, watching her face for any discomfort, but other than a light flinch, nothing. "Oi, maybe this wasn't such a bad thing after all," he gave her a small smirk and rubbed his thumb over her cheek.  
  
Kagome blinked at him in surprise while Sango let out a relieved breath, "Then she is?"  
  
"Is what?" Shippo peeked out from beneath her hair curiously.  
  
"Healing," Miroku finished, glancing back at Kaede to get her nod of agreement.  
  
"If Kagome has absorbed Inuyasha's youkai blood it would be safe to assume it's healing her," the old miko shook her head and let out a heavy sigh. "Inuyasha, I have never seen a spell with the ability to do something like this. Shippo says that your scents have reversed, not just that Kagome smells hanyou."  
  
"Unless he's mistaken," Miroku pointed out, earning him an angry glare from the little kitsune.  
  
"I know what I can smell!" Shippo yelled up at him, instantly regretting it when Kagome leaned her head away from him, ears flattening down against her skull.  
  
"It suggests-" Kaede broke in calmly, "that the spell has somehow transferred Inuyasha's youkai blood into Kagome when it began to wane and took hers in return. That would account for why Kagome actually smells like Inuyasha to Shippo."  
  
"This is so confusing," Sango shook her head, but she smiled at Kagome slightly at the thought of her wounds being healed so quickly.  
  
"Try living it," Kagome leaned back to stare down at the throbbing injury. Her shoulder had already stopped burning, instead now settling into an ache and an annoying itching. "Okay, let me see if I'm understanding this," she lifted her hand to rub her forehead. "You THINK that because Shippo says I smell like Inuyasha that we've...swapped blood? Because of the moon?"  
  
"Perhaps if the spell recognizes a human attached to a hanyou, and as Inuyasha is human for the new moon..." Kaede gestured at the two of them dismissively. "It seems that it 'balanced' by making an exchange."  
  
"Hell, it's not permanent, is it?" Kagome stiffened at the thought, rearing up to her knees at that thought. "It just can't be permanent! Inuyasha shouldn't be human-"  
  
Inuyasha leaned forward, sliding his arm around her shoulders and easing her back down before tucking her up against his side, "If it's just balancing, 'exchanging' to keep one of us a hanyou, it should go away in the morning, right? When I turn back?"  
  
"Well...theoretically, yes," Kaede sighed wearily, rubbing a hand over her own brow. "On the other hand, Inuyasha, this is the most complex and unclear spell I have ever encountered. It may very well be that Kagome will be like this until the next new moon when the the blood wanes and again and looks for an outlet."  
  
"We can't be like this for a month!" Kagome yelped out, beating Inuyasha to the retort, but just barely as she again shot forward in angry frustration. "What about my school? And Inuyasha hates being human! And- and-"  
  
"Kagome-sama, you will probably change back to yourself in the morning," Miroku closed his hand over her shoulder and pushed her back gently before he sat down next to her and patted her fisted hand. "It's best not to get worked up over this unnecessarily. Especially given the circumstances..."  
  
"Watch the fucking hands, you lech," Inuyasha gave the monk a baleful glare when he noticed the hand move suspiciously towards Kagome's backside.  
  
"At least you aren't in pain any longer, right?" Sango offered, watching Kagome frown and lightly touch her rapidly healing side.  
  
"I'd almost rather I was," she wiped a hand across her forehead and slumped back into Inuyasha with a sigh. "Is it always like this?" Kagome looked up at him miserably.  
  
"Like what?" Inuyasha frowned, reaching up again to stroke one fuzzy ear just to watch it twitch. 'Maybe this is why she likes doing this so much,' he thought absently.  
  
"It's so hot," she wrinkled her nose in distaste, lifting her shirt away from her skin. "And bright, and the smells, and it's loud! Mou, now I'm sorry for all the times I ever yelled at you..."  
  
Inuyasha smirked down at her, "I'm used to it."  
  
"Well it's giving ME a headache," she grouched, pouting even as she batted his hand away from her head. The last thing she needed was to embarrass herself in front of all of them by giving in to the soft rumble she could feel in her chest.  
  
Shippo leaned up to pat her stomach the way she'd done for him that he liked so much, his eyes on the hole in her side as the muscles around it twitched, the wound slowly shrinking, "You're almost better, Kagome. That's good, right?"  
  
She sighed and rubbed his head affectionately, "It'll be good if they stop tingling."  
  
"That's normal," Inuyasha assured her.  
  
Miroku sat back, cross-legged as he regarded the wholly unexpected, even unimaginable scene. Although he had to agree with Sango and Shippo, that if this would heal Kagome's wounds the way Inuyasha would it would be wonderful. However, there was one thing bothering him still....  
  
"Kaede-sama, if Inuyasha's youkai blood went into Kagome-sama, does that mean that Inuyasha has taken on her miko powers?" he frowned at that thought, glancing from the old miko to Inuyasha and back.  
  
Kagome felt his chest begin to rumble with laughter, his arms sliding off her as he grinned, "Kagome's miko powers, hn?"  
  
She turned, eyes flashing angrily, "Don't you even fucking think it, Inuyasha."  
  
His smile only grew wider as he reached up to finger the prayer beads around his neck, "I wonder..."  
  
Kagome was on him in a heartbeat, her injuries forgotten with a surge of adrenaline as between one breath and the next, she had him on the ground. Straddling his chest and holding his wrist in one hand and his throat in the other, she growled down at him, "I warned you about that! If I'm fucking subdued then so are you!"  
  
Shippo had scrambled away at her abrupt motion, hurrying to reposition himself and watch the fight from the safety of Miroku's lap, "Wow...this is a lot better than the 'sit' thing."  
  
Sango and Miroku just blinked in amazement, while Kaede let out a sigh of long-suffering and rose to her feet, "Make them go outside if Kagome starts to break anything. Inuyasha is probably going to try and set her off himself like this."  
  
Inuyasha was again smirking up at Kagome, his hand on her wrist, "I'm still a better fighter than you."  
  
"What does that-hn?!" Kagome broke off when Inuyasha twisted and managed to flip her over his head, sending her flat on her back on the floor. Shocked, she could only stare up at the ceiling, wondering what exactly he'd just done.  
  
"I-Inuyasha! Kagome-chan's wounds-!" Sango leapt to her feet.  
  
"She's fine now," he shrugged, rising to his feet calmly and brushing his sleeves off with arrogant indifference filling his expression.. "I know how I heal."  
  
When the exterminator started forward, Miroku caught her leg and shook his head at her questioning look, "Inuyasha, it's unfair of you to use that knowledge against Kagome-sama."  
  
Inuyasha turned to frown at the monk, but the moment he did he was on his back again. "Ha!" Kagome hopped to her feet, smiling as she pressed her hand to her shoulder and then her side curiously. Inuyasha was right, the wounds ached slightly, itched like mad, yes, but they weren't causing her any pain.  
  
Miroku's look changed to almost comical disbelief, "Kagome-sama, you are not helping me make my point."  
  
Kagome wasn't paying attention, cocking her head to one side as she looked at her hands, "Wow, you really ARE strong."  
  
"Kaede said outside!" Shippo yelled out the reminder when Inuyasha caught her in the stomach and hoisted her up over his shoulder.  
  
Inuyasha glanced at the kit, shrugged, and calmly walked out of the hut with Kagome swearing at him under her breath. The moment they were outside, there was a distinct thump followed by Kagome's delighted laughter and finally Inuyasha snarling out, "Dammit, bitch, put me down! No wait, don't try that! Kagome-!"  
  
When Inuyasha's faded off into the night, the three remaining exchanged glances with concern. The sat in a tense silence for a long moment before Shippo swore, glaring up at Miroku with his hands clenched into little fists in his lap.  
  
"Just had to open your mouth didn't you?" Shippo growled at the monk accusingly.  
  
"Houshi-sama, now they'll be fighting until morning!" Sango fisted her hands on her hips and frowned disapprovingly at him. "Kagome-chan doesn't know how to be a hanyou! What if she hurts herself even more? Or Inuyasha?"  
  
"I was only curious," Miroku shrugged. "I felt it was a valid question with all things considered. I wasn't even thinking of the prayer beads."  
  
Sango inched away from him when she caught the way his eyes had started to stray downward, "Don't try it or I'll flatten you. This is serious! What-"  
  
"Give it until morning," he suggested calmly, folding his hands in his lap in an effort to avoid the temptation. "We can worry if Inuyasha doesn't change back to himself with the sunrise."  
  
"If they don't accidentally kill each other first," Sango muttered in what had to be the driest tone Miroku had heard yet before turning to look nervously out into the night. 


	26. That's not the hard part....

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi  
  
A/N: This is so much fun... Sometimes it truly feels good to be so evil. ^_^ I promised I'd put out a second chapter today so here it is. Like I said, just because InvisibleRain begged and pleaded and threatened...LOL Aiiee!! I just can't believe this response!! So many wonderful people saying so many wonderful things! I mean it, I can't possibly tell you all how much I love you or else we'd have no room for a chapter. ::yet again blowing kisses like mad:: And for Calendar, I've had an offer from yet another lovely review to set up a ML so maybe if I ask nice I can get something put together for you. And my roommate has even offered to make a website with my work as a "make-amends" for the bar fight. *giggle* suddenly I have so much love! Senay's even trying to get me to come down to atlanta for the convention this fall. I really truly am a happy evil puppy... ^_~  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: That's not the hard part....  
  
  
  
"Well, sorry, it always looks so easy when you do it," Kagome shot the swearing hanyou-gone-human an apologetic look while trying hard not to laugh at the whole mess she'd just caused.  
  
"You make a fucking clumsy hanyou, Kagome," Inuyasha grumbled, rubbing his aching head as he pushed himself off the ground and glaring at her.  
  
"You shouldn't have squirmed around so much," she put her nose in the air and rolled up to her feet with borrowed grace. "And you go jumping off so often I wanted to see if it was any fun," she shrugged, holding out a hand to help him rise.  
  
Kagome had wanted to see if she could run the way Inuyasha always did, and to her delight, she'd found herself effortlessly moving so fast that the landscape around her blurred. Inuyasha was not only a lot taller than she was, though, but much bigger, and even with his strength it had been awkward to hold him over her shoulder. So with Inuyasha twisting and swearing, demanding to be put down but afraid to use the subduing spell for fear of hurting them both, she tried to land.  
  
Unfortuantely, that part had turned out to be a lot more difficult than Inuyasha made it look and they had ending up crashing rather hard in a tangle of arms and legs. To Kagome, the rough landing had been mildly uncomfortable, but from the way Inuyasha was swearing, it had to have been a bit painful. Especially when she recalled what it felt like to her whenever she'd ended up taking an impromptu dive to the ground.  
  
Inuyasha glared at the offered hand, propping elbow against the ground to rest his head on his palm. Grunting in irritation, he ignored her attempted assistance and kicked her lightly behind the knees. The unexpected motion swept her legs out from under her, dropping her with a thump to the ground next to him while he sighed arrogantly, "See? Clumsy."  
  
"Dammit, Inuyasha, I apologized!" she snarled out angrily, rubbing her tailbone as she glared at him. "What did you do that for?"  
  
He shook his head and chuckled softly, reaching out to give her hair a tug, "I think you make a good me."  
  
"That does it," Kagome pounced at him.  
  
Inuyasha let out a shout of surprise when she crashed into him again, knocking the breath from his lungs and likely giving him a new bruise or two. Recovering, he let out a sound that was as close to a growl as he could manage in his human form and just barely managed to wrestle her to the side and rise to his knees. Kagome caught his arm as she tumbled and yanked him with her, losing her already precarious balance when Inuyasha gave her a nudge with his shoulder to regain the advantage.  
  
When she managed to reverse them yet again, her legs clamped around his sides and making his ribs groan, he yelled out, "Oi, bitch, knock it off! You're stronger than you think this way."  
  
"Even better! This is just like wrestling with Souta," she pinned him down, flashing his own smirk into his annoyed face before her ears perked up and she completely lost interest in the boy beneath her. Kagome lifted her head, her ears twitching like crazy as she started turning to follow the directions of the sounds reaching her highly enhanced hearing.  
  
"Keh," Inuyasha's brows drew together in confusion at her actions and he mentally cursed the moon for keeping him from hearing what distracted her. He pushed that aside even as he took advantage of her inattention to reverse their positions before she accidentally cracked a rib or worse. His head cocked to one side to regard her almost painfully curious expression as she continued to look off into the woods, "What's gotten into you, Kagome? Are you all right?"  
  
"I... I can hear... all sorts of things," Kagome's eyes were bright as she glanced up at him before turning her gaze back to their surroundings. "It's so weird," she whispered, a look of concentration coming over her face as she tried to focus on the individual noises.  
  
He smiled gently, reaching down to rub the base of the nearest ear and laughing again when she instictively tilted her head into the touch. He doubted she even realized she was doing it, she was so engrossed in listening to everything around her.  
  
What would it be like for a human to suddenly have senses like his? He focused on his senses now, as a human, comparing it to what he was accustomed to in an effort to empathize with her enthrallment. The brought a thoughtful look to his face as he watched Kagome's eye dart around as though she'd never seen a forest in her life. As a human, his senses were so dulled that he felt helpless, weak... He relied so heavily on his youkai blood that he'd never stopped to about it from the human point of view. No wonder she'd been cringing when everyone was yelling in the hut. He was at least used to dealing with the hightened levels.  
  
"I think I know why you miss this," Kagome was murmuring softly, snapping his thoughts from their deep introspection. "Even if it's a little overwhelming, it's... it's just amazing."  
  
Inuyasha blinked in surprise, "Y-yeah. I guess it is."  
  
A shiver went through Kagome when he lightly scratched her ear and a soft rumble worked vibrated in her throat, making her blush while Inuyasha grinned hugely, "Ahh, so it doesn't tickle?"  
  
Kagome slapped a hand against his chest, her eyes widening in surprise when he went flying into a nearby tree trunk. Blinking in amazement, she sat up on her haunches and gave him a rueful smile, "Oops?"  
  
"Bitch!" he picked himself up again, glaring at her. "Hanyou, Kagome, HANYOU! That means you have my fucking strength!"  
  
"I've never had it before, give me a break!" she snapped right back at him, feeling her blood heat. Was this just part of having youkai blood? Everything in her screaming to challenge Inuyasha's yell, to dominate.  
  
"O-oi, don't get angry!" Inuyasha held up his hands when she started to growl, she wouldn't have any idea how to control herself if she had all his instincts and unfortunately, he knew he was hitting all the triggers. The last thing he needed to deal with was Kagome possibly getting possessed while he was human and unable to help her without risking serious injury to them both.  
  
"Then don't fucking yell at me!" Kagome demanded, folding her arms over his chest.  
  
She was instantly contrite, sneaking a look at Inuyasha's concerned expression despite the bruises that were darkening on his face from his less than gentle landings. He really was trying to help, in his way... and all she could think about doing was taking his head off. Swearing beneath her breath, she smacked herself on the side of the head before muttering in disgust, "What's gotten into me?"  
  
"You're usually human," he pointed out, shrugging as though it should have been obvious to her.  
  
"YOU don't act like this," she made a face, but then stopped herself and snorted. "What am I saying, yes you do."  
  
"Oi!"  
  
Kagome giggled, turning her back on him as she turned her attention back to the woods around her and closed her eyes. This really was amazing, all the little things she could smell and feel in the night, her ears flicking back and forth in an effort to pick up and distinguish the little sounds in the woods around her. There were rustling branches, animal sounds, Inuyasha breathing and his heartbeat, the shifting in his clothes and the faint click of beads....  
  
Wait... beads?  
  
"Inuyasha!" Kagome swung around, her eyes wide when she saw him grinning, the prayer beads lifted to eye level. "Sit!"  
  
Kagome hit the ground hard, yelping in alarm and unexpected pain.  
  
Inuyasha blinked in surprise then burst out laughing as what happened clicked in his mind. Losing his hold on the rosary in favor of clutching his stomach as he dropped to the ground, rolling on his back.  
  
"What the hell?!" Kagome pried her upper body off the ground and reaching down to grab her hip.  
  
"My blood... your body," he managed, laughing so hard tears streamed down his cheeks. "You...you subdued...yourself!"  
  
"Oh, I'm so going to hurt you," she shot forward the second it wore off, grabbing his wrists and flattening him to the ground.  
  
Inuyasha used her own momentum to roll them over, once again crouching above her and breaking her hold on his wrists before smirking, "I told you, Kagome, I'm a better fighter."  
  
"Yeah? But right now I'm stronger," she grinned back, bringing her knees up against his back to pitch him off her. She giggled as he groaned and rose to his feet, "This is fun!"  
  
"This really isn't getting us anywhere, you know," he grumbled at her. "All we're doing is knocking each other down."  
  
"I guess you're right," Kagome sighed in regret, reaching up to tug lightly on her ear. "I mean, I don't want to actually hurt you or anything..."  
  
"Keh, you? Hurt me?" Inuyasha snapped into the perfect image of wounded male pride. "Not a chance, little girl."  
  
She made a face at him, "Hey, you have my strength and I have yours. Are you saying that you wouldn't stand a chance against a human?"  
  
He gave her a sour look, "That's not what I meant."  
  
Kagome turned her back on him again, her ears swiveling forward and back as she stretched lazily. It was more than a little disturbing to have these thoughts going through her head, the enjoyment she derived from irritating the human Inuyasha. Who would have thought it was this complicated to be a hanyou?  
  
"Inuyasha?"  
  
"What?" he folded his arms over his chest, nose in the air.  
  
"What if we don't change back in the morning?" Kagome sat down where she stood, ears flattening back at the sudden change in her thoughts.  
  
Inuyasha sighed softly, his annoyance draining away as he walked to her side and sat down as well, close, but not touching, "We'll figure something out."  
  
She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, "It's your power. I mean, this is really... unbelievable..."  
  
He snorted, reaching out to loop his arm around her waist and pull her close, "How about if we don't change, I take off the beads?"  
  
"You really want me to kill you, don't you," Kagome glared at him, smacking him on the head and knocking him back.  
  
He was still chuckling as he sat up, reaching for her again despite her growling. If it was his blood, it was all for show, he thought with a widening grin when she rubbed her head under his chin. 'Definitely all for show,' his hand was back at her ear, rubbing lightly to get her to lean into him again. 'Maybe it put more of me in her head than I thought.'  
  
"You look cute with my ears," Inuyasha smiled when he felt her pulse jump under his hand.  
  
Kagome blushed, "I...like them better on you."  
  
He grinned hugely, moving his hands down to her waist and urging her to her feet. She was surprised, and definitely confused, but she followed as he led her to a large tree and sat down. Leaning back against the trunk, he tugged lightly to bring her down into his lap again.  
  
Kagome stared at the claws on her hands as she felt Inuyasha reach up to stroke her ears again, "How much longer?"  
  
Inuyasha looked up at the sky, frowning as he tried to calculate how much time had passed since sunset. "Probably another hour or so, considering you wasted most of the night with that idiotic running around," he shrugged and guessed.  
  
"Was it really that long?" she twisted to look up at him in surprise. "It didn't feel like it."  
  
He gave her a dry look, "Maybe not to YOU."  
  
Kagome made a face at him, "You carry me like that."  
  
"I'm a man!" he emphasized angrily. "It's completely different."  
  
She rolled her eyes, "Ookay."  
  
"You'll understand eventually," Inuyasha promised in the way only a self-assured male could.  
  
Kagome laughed lightly, reaching up to touch his cheek, "I'm sorry about your face."  
  
"They'll go away when you give me back my blood," he shrugged, unconcerned.  
  
They fell into a companionable silence, Inuyasha rubbing her ears and marvelling at how relaxing it was to sit here and listen to Kagome's light growling purr. He smiled, leaning back against the tree and grunting lightly when he felt how sore his back was. Hoping his demon healing would be back soon enough to heal the bruises gained from Kagome's unconscious use of his strength, he slid his arm under her legs to turn her to one side.  
  
Kagome looked up at him curiously, but he was leaning back, eyes closed with a peaceful expression on his face. She couldn't help but smile at that, the hand on his cheek stroking lightly before her eyes drifted down to his mouth. 'He keeps kissing me. Every time we do it gets even more...intense. It's... I really love kissing him...'  
  
Inuyasha felt her gaze, one eye opening to see her staring at his mouth. He smiled, watching her blush as her gaze flew up to his, "Thinking about something?"  
  
"Baka," her eyes showed her embarrassment as she started to tuck down and hide her face against him.  
  
He caught her chin and kept her from looking down, "You know, Kagome. I've never kissed anyone when I was human."  
  
Funny how a person could still blush after being naked with someone, the thought repeated in Kagome's head even as she was mesmerized by the warmth in Inuyasha's eyes. Then she wasn't thinking at all as he closed that little gap between them and yet again her mouth was being consumed in the warmth of his own. A helpless whimper escaped her throat as his hands tilted her head up before one moved up to rub her ear.  
  
Had she thought it was hot before? It was nothing compared to what she was feeling now, her hand sliding into his hair absently. She was vaguely aware of his other hand sliding down her back and turning her to face him, but that seemed so meaningless with all the feelings rushing through her now. It only got worse when his hand slid under her shirt to stroke up her spine while he leisurely explored her mouth.  
  
Inuyasha felt the odd tingle first, the shiver that went through him from head to foot and had him lifting his head to look at the sky in surprise, 'Already? We've been kissing that long?'  
  
Kagome was looking up at him, her eyes glazed and heavy-lidded when he turned his attention back to her, lightly stroking her cheek. He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and whispered, "Sunrise."  
  
She blinked, trying to make the connection between what he said and what they were doing, "Hn?"  
  
He chuckled richly, taking a deep breath as his heart lurched and began to race even more than it had been previously when they were kissing. It was the strangest thing to stare at her as he felt his youkai blood returning, the ears on her head sliding down even as he felt his own elongate. The amber of her right eyes darkened steadily and a shudder rippled through her as his hair began to lighten.  
  
Kagome sucked in a gasp, rising her hand to heart while Inuyasha brought both hands up to her face again. There was a brief heartbeat of time when Inuyasha could feel their blood balance perfectly; halfway between his transformation back to a hanyou and Kagome's back to a human. It was the most intimate moment he'd ever experienced and he had the most insane desire to find some way to freeze them in that feeling.  
  
He could hear her heart in his head and feel the heat swamping through her blood even as he leaned down to catch her mouth for another drugging kiss.  
  
Inuyasha knew.  
  
In that instant he was well aware of every one of Kagome's thoughts, her feelings as he kissed her. It made him almost euphoric even as the last of his youkai blood seeped back into him and he lost that light connection. Stubbornly, it was a long moment before he actually released her mouth, breathing in the comforting scent before he broke away and tucked her tightly against him. Not yet...  
  
"Inuyasha?" Kagome whispered, looking up at him with a sense of wonder on her face. He looked down at her, his eyes searching hers for the answer he hoped he would find there.  
  
Soon. 


	27. It goes both ways....

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi....  
  
A/N: GREAT HOLY FLAMING CRIPES ON TOAST!!! 600 reviews?! I'm...I'm speechless... Well, maybe not completely speechless..BANZAI! *happy evil puppy dancing* And Dilandra was even thinking of me on vacation! High praise indeed... Flaming purple marshmellows now? o.O Truly disturbing.... But Vitani is saying I'm famous and alandrem is calling me "sama," it overwhelming. *sniff* I love you guys! You all say such wonderful things, threats and all! ::giggle:: And I have lovely pack- members, imouto-chan, and so many more who've been with me all the way to keep me nice and motivated. Then there are so many new names popping up all the time! Of course I have to mention InvisibleRain, she's been the most constant. LOL, popping up at all hours with "Is it done yet?" Oh and Eikos, it's Anime Weekend Atlanta that I'll end up crashing, I think...  
  
Once again....I adore you all more than you can imagine! ^_~  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: It goes both ways...  
  
  
  
"Hurray! You smell like yourself again!" Shippo took a flying leap at Kagome the moment she walked into the hut, his delighted cry rousing Sango and Miroku from where they slept on opposite sides of the main room.  
  
Shippo's momentum against her stomach had her letting out a soft "oomph" of surprise and taking a step back only to come up against the unyielding wall of Inuyasha's chest. Inuyasha was instantly growling down at the kit as he steadied Kagome, sliding his arm around her waist, "Oi, brat, what the hell did I say about jumping at her?"  
  
Shippo glared up at him from the cradle of Kagome's arms, "She's better now, you jerk, why can't I?"  
  
"It's okay, I don't mind it," Kagome cut in when she felt Inuyasha tense behind her, smiling down at the kitsune and rubbing his head. "Did you stay up all night just waiting for us to come back, Shippo-chan?"  
  
"Hai!" he rubbed his head against her chest and grinned in delight at the steady pulse of her heart. Pressing his little hand to her side where the wound used to be, he gave her a hopeful look, "And it really is true? You're all better?"  
  
She laughed softly at how huge the kit's eyes were as he stared up at her, "Really. I've actually never felt better that I remember."  
  
"Then... you'll make me breakfast, right?" he made sure to make his eyes as huge and liquid as he could, working up his best "I'm cute, you love me" look. "I'm hungry."  
  
"Oi, Kagome, don't fall for that shit," Inuyasha grumbled sourly in her ear, glaring down at Shippo.  
  
Kagome brought her elbow back lightly into the hanyou's stomach, unable to resist Shippo after he'd been so worried over her, "Of course I will."  
  
"Keh," Inuyasha tightened his arm around her waist briefly, leaning down to brush a kiss over her temple before releasing her.  
  
Shippo's smile turned sly again, but he waited until Kagome had moved away from the hanyou before he climbed up to her shoulder. He snuck a peek at Inuyasha, making sure he was distracted by something the sleepy-eyed Miroku was saying and whispered in her ear, "I'm still gonna tell him."  
  
Kagome abruptly dropped the ramen packets she'd fished out of her pack, her stomach flipping like crazy, "Shippo-chan!"  
  
Inuyasha's head turned at her horrified whisper, straightening away from the monk and focusing on her when her scent agitated, "Kagome? What's wrong?"  
  
Kagome's cheeks were bright red as she ducked her head, bending to collect the ramen, "Nothing! It's...it's just that Shippo only now made me think of how much work I'll have to make up at school."  
  
He kept looking at her suspiciously for a moment before he turned his attention back to Miroku but the look he gave her before he did warned her he intended to ask more later. Shippo was desperately trying to smother his laughter, both hands clapped over his mouth while Kagome hissed at him quietly enough to escape Inuyasha's hearing, "Damn, Shippo, just what do you think you'll tell him?"  
  
Shippo leaned back to look at her red cheeks, his tail wagging proudly at his observation, "Your smell changed when you tried to cut the bandage and even more when Inuyasha helped. It was easy cause you had 'his' blood instead of yours. The smell was just like my mom's before she and papa would tell me to go play so they could be by themselves. Papa said that's what mates do sometimes."  
  
Kagome's blush darkened at that and she clapped her hand over the kit's mouth before sneaking a quick glance at Inuyasha to make sure he wasn't listening, "You'd better not repeat that if you plan to live to adulthood."  
  
Shippo's eyes gleamed brightly with glee that he'd guessed right, and he tugged her hand down, "And what'll you give me if I don't?"  
  
She blinked at him several times, before she got out, "You're...you're blackmailing me?!"  
  
"No," he shook his head, his brows lowering briefly in confusion an the unknown word. "I just want stuff or else I'm going to tell on you."  
  
"That IS blackmail," she pointed out dryly.  
  
"Oh," Shippo's eyes widened for a moment before he grinned at her. "I guess I am then," he giggled at the prospect. He knew she would give in, he could already tell from her voice. For some reason, Kagome didn't want Inuyasha to know she was doing mate things around him, but so long as it worked out for him, what did it matter? "Sooo, how about you bring me a whole lot of chocolate?"  
  
Kagome let out a weary sigh, "How much is a whole lot?"  
  
"This much," he held out his arms as wide as they would go.  
  
"We'll see," she made a face.  
  
"Oh, Inuyashaaaa!" Shippo called out in a sing-song voice.  
  
Kagome snatched him up again, covering his mouth while Inuyasha turned to them curiously, "Ignore him!" But to the kitsune she hissed, "All right, you win! Chocolate."  
  
"Hurray!" he hopped out of her arms and picked up the ramen for her, humming to himself proudly as he carted the makings of breakfast over the fire pit to help cook.  
  
Inuyasha was still staring at Kagome, his brow arching in question, "Kagome?"  
  
"Forget it," she grumbled, scowling after the kit with her eyebrow twitching in supressed annoyance. "We need to go home today, Inuyasha."  
  
"What for?" his ears flicked towards the kitsune when he heard a murmur that sounded suspiciously like "candy."  
  
"I haven't been home in weeks!" Kagome blinked at him in surprise before it changed to the same irritation she'd shown Shippo.  
  
"I took you back to get medicine," he pointed out matter-of-factly.  
  
"And we came back before anyone saw us," she returned with a frown.  
  
"YOU wanted to," Inuyasha folded his arms over his chest. He absolutely refused to blame for that when she was the one who'd urged him to hurry before her family got home, "You said you didn't want your mother to see you."  
  
"I didn't, but now I do," Kagome's attention momentarily shifted when she noticed Miroku giving them both a sknowing smile. "What, Miroku-sama?" she sighed wearily, rubbing her forehead in annoyance.  
  
"It is good to see you feel well enough to argue with Inuyasha again, Kagome-sama," Miroku dipped his head at her in a teasing bow before giving her a warm smile. "We were very concerned."  
  
Kagome had opened her mouth to respond when Sango wrapped her arms around her shoulders and pulled her into a hard embrace, "We're so happy you're okay! Even if you did have to borrow Inuyasha to do it."  
  
"Oi! What's that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha glared at the exterminator's back, but subsided when Kagome shook her head at him, her arms lifting to hug her back. He shot Miroku a glare and turned his back on all of them in frustration, "Keh, stupid girl thing."  
  
**  
  
Inuyasha lifted a hand to prevent Kagome from existing the well house, "One more time."  
  
Kagome rolled her eyes, "This is getting ridiculous."  
  
"We can always go back," he shrugged and reached for her waist.  
  
"No!" she hopped to one side, smacking his hands away. "Fine. I can't go out of your range of spirit, you have to smell it before I drink it, and I tell you the minute I feel anything strange."  
  
Inuyasha nodded in satisfaction and gave her nudge to get her moving, "I'm not taking any chances, Kagome."  
  
"Do you have to be so domineering about it?" she gave him a glare over her shoulder but obediently started for her house. "I feel like I'm five and getting scolded by my dad," she huffed her hair out of her face and grumbled.  
  
"Only until we figure all this out," he took a slight hop forward to loop his arm around her waist and nuzzle against her neck, taking delight in the way her breath caught in her throat. "You almost died on me, Kagome, and I'll do anything to make sure it doesn't happen again," he growled in her ear quietly.  
  
Kagome didn't want her family to know just what was going on and while she'd expected an arguement from Inuyasha, he'd surprised her by agreeing. When she'd looked surprised, he just snorted and lifted his nose arrogantly, "I'm not about to tell your mother you were almost killed. She'd likely cut off my ears and we'd end up having to sneak you here."  
  
She'd laughed and returned, "She probably wouldn't let me go anymore. She'd try to seal the well or something."  
  
Inuyasha had caught her chin at that, looking deep into her eyes before he whispered, "If she said no, what would you do?"  
  
Kagome remembered her eyes sliding away from his, down to the tense line of his mouth, "As if you'd let that stop you from coming for me."  
  
"But what would 'you' do, Kagome?" he'd pressed. "If it was closed, would you still try to return?"  
  
She'd lifted her hand to his face and given him a soft smile, "Always, Inuyasha."  
  
It wasn't exactly confessing how she felt about him, but it had earned her one helluva kiss from the relieved and excited hanyou. Her fingers lifted to her lips absently as just the thought of it had them tingling with remembered sensation. She heard Inuyasha chuckle before lightly nipping her neck just to watch her jump in surprise.  
  
"Will you stop that?" she hissed, turning around and feeling her face heat to a fierce blush when she saw Souta grinning at her from where he hung out the kitchen window.  
  
Souta started to giggle softly, propping his chin up on his hands as he took in Inuyasha's smug expression and his sister's pink cheeks, "Soooo... what have you been doing in the past, Nee-chan?"  
  
"Excuse me, Inuyasha, I have to go murder my brother," she said stiffly before she literally jumped through the window to chase after the laughing boy.  
  
Inuyasha blinked after her in surprise, shaking his head as he shrugged and entered the house the same way, "Damn, maybe some of my blood stayed behind."  
  
"Mom! Help meeee!" Souta was shrieking from somewhere deeper in the house, followed by a nasty sounding crash.  
  
"Gotcha!" Kagome's triumphant shout had the hanyou dumping the depleted pack on the ground and making his way to the living room.  
  
He couldn't help but smile at the sight of the upturned couch with Souta and Kagome in a tangled heap, just as she'd said when she'd wrestled with him the night before. Souta was laughing, pleading, and shrieking while the older girl mercilessly attacked his ribs, mutering the whole while about being too nosy.  
  
"Inu...yasha nii-chan! Help!" Souta got out between giggles, pushing ineffectively at his sister and giving the hanyou his best worshipping expression to convince him.  
  
Inuyasha sighed and walked over to pluck Kagome off the boy, tucking her into his side to keep her from going after the boy again. Smiling at her disgruntled expression, he brushed her hair out of her face and gave the couch a pointed look, "Now I know you're feeling better."  
  
**  
  
Kagome was smiling as she gathered up her books when the bell rang to signal the end of school. Inuyasha was somewhere close, waiting for her impatiently no doubt, but however she'd managed, he'd agreed to let her go so long as he was close. She'd seen him once or twice, lounging against trees in the school yard and yet again dressed in the modern clothes he hated so much. She was certain the only reason he hadn't been run off the property was the fact that he still had the Tetsusaiga close at hand.  
  
"Wow, Kagome-chan, you look a lot better than the last time we saw you," her friends swooped in on her the moment she was out the door, trailing along with her with curious expressions.  
  
"Yeah, did you get a transfusion or something?" the second piped up.  
  
Kagome stopped, half surprised at the suggestion and the other half even more shocked to think of what really had happened in that light, "A transfusion?"  
  
With the other girls giving her looks like she'd lost her mind, she blushed and shrugged, "What? You're so sick all the time, I thought you would have had one or two!"  
  
"That's so stupid," the first girl shook her head and tsked while Kagome started walking again.  
  
"Actually, I did," Kagome murmured absently.  
  
"Oh."  
  
Kagome could only giggle at the look of amazement on her friends faces, waving it aside casually, "You're right though, I just hadn't thought it was the... transfusion that did it."  
  
Recovering, they fell in step around her again, but this time with a different topic in mind, "So, when are you going to tell us about that hot guy who picked you up last time?"  
  
"Oh yeah!" the others were immediately giggling, blocking Kagome's way to get her to stop and answer them. "Who is he? Is he available?"  
  
Kagome expression immediately darkened and she felt the tattoo begin to throb at the unexpected question. Her response was instant, fierce and completely unexpected even to herself, "He's MINE!"  
  
The hallway went instantly silent, the students all turning at the loud outburst while Kagome clapped her hands over her mouth, her face flaming with mortification at not just her automatic reaction, but the sudden attention. Her friends were gaping at her, just as stunned as the rest of the students, if not more so. Clearing her throat in an effort to regain a measure of dignity, she stalked down the hall to the main doors.  
  
It certainly did absolutely nothing for her temper that the first thing she saw upon exiting was Inuyasha laughing his head off on the front lawn beside the steps.  
  
"Goddamn youkai hearing," Kagome snarled under her breath, gritting her teeth as she resolutely walked down the steps and kept right on going down the walkway.  
  
Inuyasha stumbled to his feet, shoulders shaking as he looked back at the school to see the same three girls who'd been walking with Kagome the last time he'd come here. They were looking from him to Kagome, blinking in amazement before they seemed to shake off whatever had them hanging back and raced past him to catch the fuming girl.  
  
Now why the hell couldn't she seem to do anything normal lately? Kagome wondered as she lifted her hand to rub her aching forehead. It was so odd, but the moment her friends had suggested an interest in Inuyasha she'd had the nearly irresistable urge to answer them as though it was a full on challenge. This had to have something to do with the spell, it just wasn't HER to react like that!  
  
She let out a heavy, disgusted sigh, trying to ignore the sound of her friends calling her and Inuyasha's laughing demand that she stop. Not a chance, not until she found a large rock to curl up under for the rest of her life.  
  
She'd just done a brilliant job at ruining her day and her already less than perfect image at school, and she seriously doubted there was anything else that could happen to make it any worse.  
  
"Higurashi-san!" 


	28. A hole deep enough....

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi.....  
  
A/N: Gah! I'm so sorry this is out so late! The server hasn't let me up all freakin day! Oi... O.o Honestly, the torments I go through. *tragic sigh* Ahem, anyhow....Brand new threats! LOL, wow! Arwen even apparantly made fanart...haven't seen it yet, but I hope I do soon. I just think that would be such a blast! *muffling evil laughter* And I have everyone admitting what a happy evil puppy I am, ah...life is so good sometimes. With all my beautiful reviewers giving me such fantastic comments and emails, I'd love to mention everyone, but I just don't have the room! *blush* If you're feeling left out, drop me a line and I'll try to give you as much love as you give me. ^_~ And thanks again to Cherry Blossom for editing out the spelling mistakes!  
  
BTW, Calendar, one of my much beloved email reviewers (PJB) has set up that mailing list that you've been bugging me about! *giggle* And as I haven't seen something telling me not too...I'll go ahead and give you the URL: http://whale.nocdns.com/mailman/listinfo/turnabout_arangoth.org  
  
Just because I love you, Calendar! ^.^ And he's even agreed to give me space to post the story on the chance anyone has troubles accessing.  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: A hole deep enough....  
  
  
  
There were just some days when you wished you could close your eyes and find out everything from the time you woke up had just been some horrible, twisted dream.  
  
That you were really still tucked into a soft bed, the alarm just waiting to go off and tell you that it was all a nightmare. Nothing that bad could possibly happen in real life...  
  
This just happened to be one of those days.  
  
But fate and whatever else had decided to take a hand in controlling Kagome's life this month were being remarkably uncooperative.  
  
"Hojo-kun...?" Kagome's voice was a blend of surprise, lingering embarrassment, and rapidly descending doom. 'Never think things can't be any worse than they are,' she berated herself over and over again, wishing she could find a tree and bang her head against it in frustration. There was no reason for Hojo to be here, not since he was accepted to university and SHOULD have been in classes himself. She had to have done something to seriously piss off at least one god, maybe more; there was no other explanation for this soon to be enormous mess.  
  
After all, with the way her luck had been lately there was no way in hell this was going to be pretty.  
  
"Higurashi-san, it's so good to see you're feeling better!" Hojo smiled broadly and reached out to take her hands. "I was so worried when your friends told me that you were out much longer than before."  
  
Kagome winced, feeling the tattoo heat and begin pulsing painfully at the same moment she heard the unmistakable growl from behind her. She didn't have a chance to say anything, however, before she heard her friends all chorus in excitement, "Ah...Hojo-kun!"  
  
Kagome smiled weakly at him, mentally counting down from ten to time the explosion as she asked, "You...ah, didn't come all this... way to see me, did you?"  
  
"Aa," he nodded, perfectly oblivious to the half demon likely plotting his painful demise at that precise instant. "I was going to visit you at home, but now I'm so glad I decided to walk past the school. You look great!"  
  
"She had a transfusion and she'd doing so much better," her friends swarmed around her, conveniently forgetting the man with the rapidly darkening expression right behind them in only the way girls intent on their idea of match-making could do. "Isn't that wonderful, Hojo-kun!"  
  
Kagome felt three pairs of hands pushing her closer and the tattoo's pulse increased dramatically, "Ne, Kagome-chan, now you can finally go on a real date!"  
  
"Oh shit," Kagome whispered to herself.  
  
How he managed it, she'd never know, but one minute she was sandwiched in between her well-meaning friends with Hojo holding her hands and smiling affectionately down at her. The next minute she was nearly yanked off her feet away from all of them with a pair of strong, familiar arms wrapped tightly around her waist and a growl vibrating through her from head to foot.  
  
Her friends looked immediately apologetic, realization and chagrin going through their eyes as they darted out from between what looked to be a prime confrontation they had helped cause. Hojo, not having been part of Kagome's earlier self-humiliation, only looked a little surprised and curious at the interruption. He turned his attention to Inuyasha as his smile never wavered, "Oh! Hello, are you a friend of Higurashi-san?"  
  
Inuyasha never released Kagome, but one hand lifted, catching Hojo by the throat and lifting him up high enough that his feet dangled off the ground. His eyes narrowed, glowing fiercely as his clawed hand slowly tightened on the weaker flesh.  
  
He was absolutely incensed. Hadn't this idiot just heard her yell out that she had him? What the hell was he thinking? Looking at Kagome like that and touching her was completely unacceptable, dammit! He tried to tell himself he was only concerned about the monk and the voices, but while that was part of the anger, the largest portion was just the thought that a human boy was touching her. A human BOY was touching her...  
  
What if he tried to steal her away like the man's voice was doing? Would she go to be with someone who was like her instead of a half-breed? No, Kagome, would never do that! Not after she'd promised to always return, and not he'd heard her yell out that he was hers to her school. She wouldn't want to leave if she said that right?  
  
But what if she didn't love him?  
  
That thought sent a new surge of almost desperate rage through him and he lifted the boy higher.  
  
Kagome's friends shrieked in surprise and fright, jumping even farther away and staring at everything in wide-eyed alarm. Kagome only distantly registered the screams and the shouts of students wanting to see a fight as she grabbed the arm he'd wrapped around her waist like a vice and yelled, "Inuyasha, stop it! Put him down!"  
  
Inuyasha ignored her and the yelling around him, focusing his gleaming eyes on the pale face of the human boy who'd been looking at Kagome almost possessively. That was the look that had been enough to start those damn thoughts and doubts, kicking his instincts into high gear to defend what was his. The only thing keeping him from tearing out the boy's throat was the fear that had seeped into Kagome's scent.  
  
Inuyasha forced his temper under control, taking deep breaths in an effort to calm himself for her sake. When he was certain the urge to rip the boy apart had passed, he turned his attention to making sure his claim was clear to this human.  
  
"I want you to listen to me, little boy," Inuyasha growled, low and deadly, dragging him forward so they were face to face. "If I ever...EVER catch you touching my Kagome again, I'll fucking kill you, you understand me?"  
  
Hojo was dropped unceremoniously to the ground, gasping and rubbing his throat as he gaped up at the dangerous looking man holding Kagome and glaring down at him in a way that sent chills down his spine. Everything about this guy just screamed that he was a threat, and Hojo's eyes went to Kagome in instant concern for her welfare.  
  
Kagome tried to shove Inuyasha aside to go to Hojo's aid, but the hanyou only tightened his hold, turning his eyes down to her in a warning not to fight with him over this.  
  
"I don't belive you!" Kagome ignored it and growled right back, bringing her elbow back into his stomach. Maybe it was the same thing that had started those uncharacteristic outburts, but she wanted nothing more right then than to challenge that demand in his eyes, "Hojo-kun is a friend of mine and you attacked him! You had no right to do that, Inuyasha!"  
  
"He touched you. That gives me every right, Kagome," Inuyasha narrowed his gaze on the boy rising slowly to his feet, still rubbing his throat, but now with a wary, determined expression on his face.  
  
"Higurashi-san," Hojo's low voice broke their renewed staring match. "Are you okay?"  
  
Kagome shook her head when Inuyasha started growling again, "I'm fine, are you hurt, Hojo-kun? Inuyasha, let go!"  
  
"We're leaving," Inuyasha turned to go when Hojo reached towards then, obviously intent on stopping the hanyou.  
  
Kagome caught Inuyasha's hand when she felt him start to move, turning to glare up at the hanyou and hiss, "Apologize."  
  
Inuyasha gave her a look that said she'd lost her mind, but laced his fingers with hers instead of going for Hojo's throat again, "Not a fucking chance, Kagome. We're going home. Now."  
  
"Higurashi-san, I don't think you should go with him," Hojo frowned in concern. "He seems so...violent."  
  
Considering the hanyou was still growling low and threateningly in his throat, Kagome didn't see how she could possibly convince Hojo otherwise and settled on digging her elbow into Inuyasha's stomach again, "No, nothing like that. He's just...overprotective with how I...I get sick all the time. I'm so sorry, Hojo-kun! He really didn't hurt you, did he?"  
  
"I'll be all right," his voice was uncertain as he looked between Kagome and Inuyasha. "But you should-"  
  
Inuyasha swore, dropping his hand from around Kagome's waist, but her sigh of relief was cut short when he caught the waistband of her skirt, "Inuyasha, don't-!"  
  
Too late, he'd already pulled the fabric down to show the obnoxious human the mark that clearly displayed she was his. If he couldn't kill him, he'd damn well scare this boy off well enough that he'd never think of putting a hand on Kagome again, "See this?"  
  
Kagome very clearly heard the indrawn gasps even as she squeezed her eyes shut and covered her face with her hands, "Oh God."  
  
"This means you keep your distance, dammit!" Inuyasha waited until he saw the recognition of just what he was seeing click in the boy's eyes before he pulled her skirt back up.  
  
"Hi-Higurashi-san?" Hojo took a step back, confused beyond belief and feeling more than a little dazed. "What...?"  
  
There had to be something she could say, something that would help her save face in front of her friends after this brilliant display of possessiveness from Inuyasha. 'And here I thought I'd never be able to blush after being naked with him so many times,' she thought miserably.  
  
Feeling as though she would forever look sunburned where Inuyasha was concerned, she sucked in a deep breath and stammered out, "He...he's my, ah, fiance."  
  
When Hojo's face fell sadly Inuyasha decided that had to be something serious to humans and grunted, tugging her back against his chest and giving the boy a sharp nod, "Damn right."  
  
Hojo straightened his shoulders and held out a hand to Inuyasha, "I'm terribly sorry, ah, ...Inuyasha-san, I believe I...I misunderstood."  
  
When Inuyasha just stared at his hand suspiciously, Kagome grabbed his wrist and forcefully extended his to shake hands with the slightly traumatized human, "I should be apologizing, Hojo-kun. I would have told you as...um, as soon as it happened-"  
  
He shook his head, wincing as he withdrew his hand from the nearly crushing grip to give them a more respectful bow, "No, you've been quite ill. I understand, Higurashi-san."  
  
Inuyasha was slightly mollified with the change, the human almost submissive in that painful politeness, and the growl died down a bit to a level only he and Kagome were aware of, "C'mon, Kagome. We're going home."  
  
"I'll talk to you later, Hojo-kun," Kagome forced a bright smile on her face and waved at him when Inuyasha turned them around to stalk back towards the shrine.  
  
"The hell you will," he muttered down at her, his ears barely catching the boy asking, "Was he growling or was that my imagination?"  
  
"Wait! Kagome-chaaan!" Inuyasha was abruptly cut off when Kagome's friends raced around in front of him. They were watching him nervously, edging away to surround Kagome, their faces stern and disapproving when they focused on her. It was almost humorous at how quickly she stopped pushing at his arm and instead backed into him instinctively for protection.  
  
"Why didn't you tell us?"  
  
"Where's your ring?"  
  
"When did it happen?"  
  
Kagome just gaped at them as they rattled of a slew of questions, talking over each other and grabbing at her as Inuyasha's presence was pushed out of their minds for the second time that day with the rising curiosity of her little "announcement." Unfortunately, Inuyasha didn't seem to either want to or know how to come to her rescue over this one.  
  
"Fuck," she whispered, just loud enough for the hanyou to hear her and start chuckling before she tried answering the chattering girls. "Well...it was when I was ill; we decided on the- ah, tattoo instead; and it was just...so sudden," she put her hands behind her back to cross her fingers and silently pray they'd buy that.  
  
Her friends were quiet for a moment, digesting that and staring at her in speculation before one piped up, "But you're so young!"  
  
Inuyasha perked up at that, going over possible explanations as to why that would be a problem. The only thoughts he could come up with had his smile slowly returning, the good mood he'd entertained before Hojo's appearance pushing aside the instinctive rage that the human had been touching Kagome.  
  
Kagome coughed lightly, keeping her blush down with much more ease than she would have had without everything else that had happened, "We were going to wait until after graduation before we told everyone."  
  
The smile turned smug, he'd been right after all.  
  
Letting out a sigh of relief, Inuyasha bent down and kissed her cheek, flashing the shocked girls a dazzling grin and starting off again, "That's right, we'd appreciate it if you help us keep it quiet."  
  
"I really do have to get home," Kagome called back at them, trying hard to ignore the fact that they wore the same dazed expression gracing Hojo's face just a few minutes ago. "See you later!"  
  
She turned back to Inuyasha the second they were out of sight, smacking him upside the head, "What the fuck were you thinking, hn? You could have killed him!"  
  
"I would have if you hadn't gotten scared!" Inuyasha snapped back, rubbing his head and fighting the urge to yank off the uncomfortable cap. "Dammit, Kagome, you yell out to your 'school' that I'm yours and then you went and got all touchy with that-that boy! What the hell was I supposed to do? I heard you all the way outside!"  
  
Kagome covered her eyes at that reminder, groaning and stalking away from the now laughing hanyou, "And people think girls have mood-swings. Can we just forget that happened, Inuyasha? Please?"  
  
"Why would I want to do that?" he quickened his step to catch up, folding his arms lazily behind his head as he walked. "Now everybody knows you're mine here and in our time."  
  
"No, I meant about me getting carried away...wait, 'our' time?" she stopped abruptly, one brow arching at that.  
  
"Oooh, you mean you want me to forget you yelling in your school," he did his best to make his expression thoughtful, but the tone of his voice readily conveyed there was no way he'd let that one slide.  
  
"I'll remember this for the next new moon, Inuyasha," Kagome warned him and kept walking, determined to end the conversation.  
  
Inuyasha's attention, however had caught on something off to his left as he distractedly called after her, "Oi, Kagome?"  
  
So much for ending it, she sighed in defeat before she asked irritably, "What?"  
  
"Didn't you say you had to buy some things while we're here?" he continued in that same tone, making her stop and turn to look at him in confusion.  
  
'Oh damn, Shippo's chocolate,' she made a face, shaking that off before she folded her arms over her chest, "I'll get it before we go back, why?"  
  
"You need those," Inuyasha pointed.  
  
Confused, she followed the direction he indicated and frowned until she realized he was pointing to a girl. The "those" he indicated, from the way he was looking between the two of them, were the jeans the girl was wearing. Jeans cut lower than Kagome's, low enough to show the tattoo without having to pull aside the waistband.  
  
"Absolutely not," Kagome growled at him, turning on her heel and walking off again.  
  
"What? Then everyone would see it," Inuyasha frowned in genuine confusion and hurried to catch up before falling into step beside her. "It would make things a lot easier for both of us."  
  
Kagome rolled her eyes before giving him a good glare, "Inuyasha, after what you did to poor Hojo-kun, you'll be lucky if I ever admit to anyone else that I even know you."  
  
Inuyasha huffed his opinion of that and trailed after her, replaying everything in his mind until he was chuckling softly at the thought of what Kagome had said. But he waited until they were at the steps of her shrine before he flashed her a wicked grin and looped an arm around her waist. The embrace brought her to a stop, and nuzzling her neck, Inuyasha murmured, "I forgot to say thank you."  
  
"For what?" Kagome sighed and leaned back into him. It was so hard to stay mad at Inuyasha when he was trying to be sweet and affectionate like this, and well...maybe she should cut him a break this once about grabbing Hojo. He didn't know that you just couldn't do things like that in this time after all...  
  
"For telling your human friends you're mating with me." 


	29. Slip of the tongue.....

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi....  
  
A/N: Ah I never really out and made note seperately, but this is slightly timeline accelerated. Think Kagome being close to graduation, almost 18 and since Hojo was an upper classman before, that means he's already out and attending university. (Hope that wasn't totally confusing)  
  
Once again, I'm so sorry about how late this is out but for some reason I just haven't been able to get into site. LOL, PJB is so annoyed with it that he's offering to give me webspace to post it, so when that pans out, I'll post the link here and on the author page thing. *Deep cleansing breath* And now.... Aiiee! It seems like the more time passes the more creative you guys get with your threats! I love em though. *looks at sporks nervously* You guys are the absolute best, so I'll stop typing notes and hop to it with 30 especially since SmartyCat lost her cookie to the cat over that last one and I'm sure I've driven someone insane. And thanks to Cherry for again being such a doll and editing out those mistakes. Love much to every last one of you.... ^_~  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Slip of the tongue....  
  
  
  
In retrospect, it wasn't one of Kagome's better reactions.  
  
While she HAD to admit that it was rather satisfying to see Inuyasha flat on the ground after casually tossing out a comment like that, it wasn't until he was actually down that she recalled his new-found control and restored confidence. Her reaction would be like declaring war on the proud hanyou, and not only that...  
  
"Fuck, I think I broke my hand," Kagome winced and murmured before she really thought about what was actually coming out of her mouth, massaging her right hand with her left in an effort to work out the ache.  
  
Inuyasha was still for a long moment before his hands lifted with measured care to press flat at his sides and push himself up, staring at her with a perfectly blank expression. Nervous at the uncharacteristic silence, she backed away a step as he rose to his feet with that same slow precision. His eyes never blinked or left hers as he lifted his hand to touch his jaw lightly, a thoughtful expression coming over his face.  
  
"Ah....Inu-Inuyasha?" Kagome leaned back, shooting a glance up to her home as though gauging the distance when she already knew the probability of her outrunning Inuyasha was about the same as her declaring her love for Sesshoumaru.  
  
"Stay," he was already directly in front of her, dipping his shoulder to catch her in the stomach when her legs buckled and hoisting her up over his shoulder. She sucked in a breath to yell at him over the undignified, yet newly frequent position when he took a single leap, clearing the stairs and stalking towards her front door. The landing rather effectively snapped her mouth shut and had her grabbing onto his shirt instinctively, as it hadn't been his smoothest one to date.  
  
Inuyasha remainded silent as he entered the shrine, carelessly kicking off the sneakers he hated so much, but they insisted he wear with the confining "jeans" and "T-shirts." His ears twitched uncomfortably, prompting him to tear the dark cap off his head without breaking his stride on his way to Kagome's bedroom. Before she could even take a breath to question him again, he was up the stairs, down the hall, and slamming the door closed behind them.  
  
Getting more than a little annoyed herself at his behavior, she set her jaw and smacked her fist lightly against his back, "Inuyasha, put me down right now or I'll say it!"  
  
"Go ahead," he shrugged, completely unconcerned with her demand or her warning. "You keep forgetting that it's not the threat it used to be."  
  
Tensing at the subtle amusement in his voice, she barked out, "Sit!"  
  
Kagome let out a shriek of surprised outraged when Inuyasha kept his hold on her waist, taking her down with him. Their positions when she'd said it had the lower half of her body pinned beneath his torso and Inuyasha let out a grunt of discomfort when her knees were jammed against his ribcage. The sudden impact pulled her flat on her back, the breath punched from her lungs as she stared up at her ceiling in bemusement.  
  
Inuyasha let out a frustrated sigh, propping elbow on the floor and resting his chin in his hand so he could look down at her dazed face, "I would have thought you realized just how pointless the spells have gotten now that we both have them."  
  
Kagome glared at him, "How the hell did you expect me to act when you say something like that?"  
  
"YOU said it!" he tapped a finger against her sternum for emphasis.  
  
"I said we were engaged, not mating, dammit!" she blushed fiercely, looking away from his intense gaze. Her heart was still pounding, stomach tied up in knots over the chaotic thoughts tumbling around in her head after what he'd said.  
  
Inuyasha blinked in surprise and frowned, reaching out to tug on her hair lightly and turn her face back, "So what's engaged? It's a human thing, right?"  
  
She cleared her throat and answered, "Right, a human thing. It's...it's saying you're promised to be married." When he just arched one brow in obvious inquiry for clarification, she let out a sigh and tried it with his wording, "To be...mated. I did NOT tell them that we we're...we're sleeping together!"  
  
"But we are," he shrugged calmly, sliding himself up her body so he could look directly down into her face. He couldn't deny he was a little...okay, maybe a lot disappointed to hear that she hadn't told her humans friends they were mating, but she'd told them more or less that they would be soon, right? A promise to be mated, she'd said.  
  
"Not like that!!" she denied fiercely, her cheeks even brighter than ever.  
  
Inuyasha was more confused than ever and it brought a sharp frown to his face, "But you said-"  
  
Kagome clapped her hand over his mouth, leaning up so they were nose to nose, "Inuyasha, dammit, will you please PLEASE try to understand this?"  
  
He tilted his head to one side, an amused smile spreading behind her hand at how flustered she was with the conversation. He had to bite back a laugh, knowing it would only make her more angry, as he nodded.  
  
Kagome felt that smile and her eyes narrowed, "Okay, stay with me. Engaged for humans is like telling everyone that you're saving yourself for your...um, mate. That you have someone and aren't looking for anyone else."  
  
No reason to complicate matters by telling him all the details, or that engaged couples DID sometimes sleep together the way he was thinking. She'd just said it to get Hojo to stop accidentally setting off Inuyasha and get rid of her friends! It wasn't like it was real or anything, and wait... He thanked her? He was happy at the thought of them... of him and her...?  
  
'Mou, I can't even finish the thought!' Kagome shook her head, her heartbeat lurching at the images rising unbidden in her mind.  
  
Inuyasha felt the jump in her pulse and the smile behind her hand turned smug. His eyes filled slowly with speculation and deciding to test out what her heartbeat was telling him, he ran his tongue lightly along her palm. Kagome's eyes snapped to his, a startled gasp catching in her throat as she yanked her hand away as though he'd burned her.  
  
"Don't do that!" she pressed her hands flat to the floor and tried to scoot herself out from under him.  
  
"Why not?" he leaned more of his body weight onto to hold her still, his eyes bright with the success of that little experiment. The engaged thing might not have meant exactly what he thought it was, but it was a promise that would keep the human men away from her. Even more importantly, she had promised she would mate with 'him,' not someone else.  
  
'Great, couldn't you have asked it any other way?' Kagome absently reached her left hand up to rub his ear and tried to think of a good excuse. "Ah, Souta's here," her eyes lit up and she grinned. That was at least true!  
  
Inuyasha leaned his head into her hand, giving voice to a deep- throated growl even as he argued, "He's downstairs, but what does that have to do with me licking your hand?"  
  
"Have I told you how disturbing it is to know you've gotten so conniving?" she gritted her teeth and grumbled out.  
  
"I'm not conniving," he denied with a frown. "I just want to know why you think your brother being here means I have to stop."  
  
Kagome's hand stilled on his ear, "Stop? Stop what? We aren't doing anything."  
  
"You promised to mate with me to your friends," Inuyasha pointed out when he noticed the stunned look on her face.  
  
"I punched you too," she reminded, hoping that would distract the hanyou from that warm gleam in his eyes. If he kissed her while he was looking at her like that she was done for. It was hard enough keeping her head under normal circumstances, let alone lying on the floor, with him on top of her, in an almost empty house. Would she even want to say no?  
  
"So you owe me for that," he taunted, lifting one of his hands to again rub his jaw. "Consider this revenge."  
  
"Like hell, you deserved it," she folded her arms over her chest and gave him a defiant expression that was totally at odds with the way her heart was pounding at the teasing not in his voice. "I'd do it again."  
  
Inuyasha couldn't help but laugh at that, reaching down to take her hand and lift it in front of his face. He smiled warmly and used his hand to curl hers into a proper fist, "Next time, Kagome, keep your hand like this. You won't hurt your hand so much."  
  
She looked from her closed fist to his face and had to bite back a smile, "You're planning on getting punched again?"  
  
"With your temper lately? Fuck, I'll be lucky if you're not taking a swing at least once a week," he ducked when she tried to hit him from her prone position. Laughing even harder, he caught her wrists and pinned her hands down, "See?"  
  
"Inu-mphf!" Kagome had barely started to growl when his mouth was over hers again, the hanyou settling himself over her comfortably as he slid his tongue deep into her mouth.  
  
Inuyasha growled, his hands flexing briefly on her wrists before he pulled her arms around his neck and freed up his own hands. She'd said it herself, they were promised, so he was willing to let that punch to the jaw slide since the look on her face right before he'd been kissing ground had been positively shocked. It he'd taken her that much by surprise, he supposed he could be generous...  
  
Of course that generous feeling had nothing to do with the fact that at the moment, he was lying on top of her on her bedroom floor, she was kissing him back, and he was sliding his hands down her sides without getting kicked or subdued.  
  
He'd forgotten how much he liked how she looked in these school uniforms, he thought distractedly, his hand sliding under the waistband of her skirt to cover the tattoo on her hip and feel the steady, warm pulse against his palm. Kagome sucked in a breath, her hands tightening around his neck as her eyes slid closed and she leaned up into him, responding just the way he wanted her to. Delighted with the silent encouragement, Inuyasha slid one hand into her hair, the other inching up beneath her shirt.  
  
"That's gross, I'm telling Mom, Nee-chan!" Souta's whine had Inuyasha pulling his hand out from under her shirt and jumping off Kagome so fast he got light-headed, his cheeks suspiciously pink as he growled violently at the cause of the interruption.  
  
Souta was making disgusted faces in the doorway to her room, arms folded over his chest as he watched Kagome yank her clothes back in order, "Souta! You could knock!"  
  
He shrugged, the look turning sly with eerie similarity to the look she'd gotten from Shippo just yesterday, "Why? Oh, because you're up here making out with Inuyasha nii-chan, ne?"  
  
"It's not-!" she started, but Souta just grinned hugely. He had her and he knew it. "Oh this is just fucking perfect," she muttered under her breath, making Inuyasha cough to hide a laugh before she was glaring at her brother and demanding, "what do you want?"  
  
Souta rubbed his chin in a purely villainous way looking back and forth between Inuyasha's amused, averted face and Kagome's murderous one, "Hmm, that's a good question."  
  
"Souta," Kagome's voice lowered in warning.  
  
"Well, his hand WAS up your shirt," he smothered a giggle behind his hand when Kagome's jaw tightened and her face flamed. "That's got to be worth something good," Souta responded matter-of-factly.  
  
Determined to soothe Kagome, Inuyasha reached out as he sat up, pulling her into his lap and setting his chin on her shoulder even as he arched a brow inquiringly at the smug boy, "Spit it out, brat. What do you want?"  
  
Souta's eyes gleamed brightly, "How about you take me for a ride like you do Nee-chan? On your back."  
  
Kagome slumped back against Inuyasha in relief, it almost seemed too easy, "That's it? You just want Inuyasha to take you on a run?"  
  
"Oi, Kagome, I'm not a pack horse," Inuyasha grumbled.  
  
She gave him a sideways glance and hissed back, "You want him telling Mom what he THINKS he saw?"  
  
He grunted in defeat, eyeing the boy grinning at him before he whispered to Kagome, "You owe me for this too."  
  
Souta smacked his hands together in excitement, "Yes! Could you change back into your normal clothes? You look kinda funny in jeans."  
  
"Keh, hear that, Kagome? Your brother agrees with me," Inuyasha couldn't resist smirking at her as he collected his kimono from where he'd left it on her bed that morning. "I look stupid like this."  
  
"Ah..." Kagome opened her mouth but closed it again, her hand covering her still tingling lips to keep herself from blurting out her opinion even as her eyes moved over him admiringly.  
  
He turned to glance at her curiously at the lack of response and smirked at what was definitely appreciation in her deep blue eyes. Chuckling softly, he nudged Souta with his foot, "Out. I'll come down in a minute."  
  
Souta shrugged and nodded, but turned back, "No more of that gross stuff either!"  
  
Inuyasha growled in annoyance, slamming the door closed, "Damn, if he wasn't your brother I'd beat the shit out of him."  
  
"I'm thinking about it," Kagome huffed, accepting his hand for help standing. "Go on. I'll pack while you're gone and we can go back tonight."  
  
"Home," he leaned over to give her a quick kiss. "Say we're going home tonight."  
  
She made a face at him, "You're gotten pretty damn demanding since all this started, Inuyasha."  
  
"Only since you got so damn violent. Someone's got to keep you under control," Inuyasha taunted lightly, grabbing the hem of the plain black shirt and pulling it over his head just to watch Kagome's attention snap around to stare at him in open mouthed surprise. She was frozen in place for a long moment before her eyes flew up to his and she let out a little squeak, running out of the room with the sound of his laughter trailing loudly behind her.  
  
Resolutely, she glared back at her bedroom door, "Sit!"  
  
"Dammit!"  
  
"Don't say it! I'm on the stairs!" Kagome yelled back before he could respond in kind, grinning to herself when she heard the renewed cursing from behind the closed door. Hopefully Inuyasha would forget about her subduing him after his run with Souta.  
  
Wincing, she made her way to the kitchen to check how much chocolate she'd need to buy before they went back, grumbling sourly to herself, "First Shippo-chan and now Souta. How am I getting myself into these things?"  
  
**  
  
"Chocolate!!!" Shippo cheered, vanishing into the oversized pack before Inuyasha had even cleared the top of the well.  
  
Kagome let out a sigh, looking up at the fluffy tail sticking out the opening flap, "You'll make yourself sick if you eat it all at once, Shippo- chan."  
  
He poked his head out to look down at her, a candy bar half-in and half-out of his mouth, "Youkai don't get sick."  
  
"You liar," Inuyasha huffed, swinging the bag around to make a grab for the kit.  
  
Shippo let out a squeak and vanished into the pack, catching the flap and tucking it in behind him, "Kagomeee!"  
  
Kagome caught Inuyasha's hand and shook her head, rolling her eyes, "Let him be, Inuyasha. He'll probably fall asleep before he eats too much."  
  
"But it'll still all be here when I wake up," Shippo's voice was slightly muffled from being tucked inside the pack, but the wiggling lump gave away his location in his search for his pay-off.  
  
Kagome couldn't help but smile as she looked at the lump, sliding her gaze to find Inuyasha shaking his head as he laced his fingers with hers and tugged her off towards the village. Shippo poked his head back out, his vest lumpy from all the individual pieces he'd tucked away, "Oi, how come it took you so long to come back?"  
  
Inuyasha finally smiled, squeezing her hand, "I had to bribe Kagome's brother."  
  
Shippo turned to look at Kagome, giggling brightly, "What did you do?"  
  
Kagome stumbled, glaring at the kitsune, "Nothing."  
  
"Reeeally?"  
  
"Do you want me to protect you from Inuyasha or not?" she returned, ignoring the laughter she could hear the hanyou trying to smother.  
  
Shippo gave her a haughty look, spreading his claws meaningfully and drawing them across his stomach. When she blushed and looked away, he was again smiling smugly, "That's what I thought."  
  
"What's what you thought?" Inuyasha craned his neck curiously back to look at the kit.  
  
"I'm too cute for Kagome to be mean to me," he chirped happily. "She loves me best," he stuck out his tongue at Inuyasha.  
  
"When she's not contemplating throwing him in a lake," she grumbled.  
  
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he looked from Kagome's averted face to Shippo's delighted grin and the candy all over the little kit. He'd never known Kagome to spoil the baby youkai this much, and the frustration in her voice now was almost identical to what it had been with Souta.  
  
Suspicious, he turned his attention to the kitsune. Shippo had known about the tattoo before all of them, so was there something new she didn't want to tell him? Something that Shippo had found out again and was doing the same thing that Souta had done?  
  
Inuyasha tugged Kagome closer to him, his arm possessive as an instinctive rumble escaped his throat. He'd have to nab the kit when Kagome fell asleep and get this latest little secret out of him.  
  
Kagome better not be hiding anything else. 


	30. Reflections....

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi.....  
  
A/N: *muffling evil laughter* Okay, I'm sure I scared more than one of you on that last one, completely my intention, I assure you. Oh and I do have good news...PJB allocated me webspace when Himiko popped on my messenger and announced that she had made a website for me: www.tokyo-anime.net/iri/ It is absolutely GORGEOUS!!! This way if something happens I'll still be able to post new chapters. And I know some of you are worried that with the fluff there is no plot...Oi, be patient!! It's really all going somewhere! Reading my favorite stories, hn? Guess I need to poke through and add a couple then. I just haven't had the time. LOL.. Now since I need to be quick getting this out, I'll keep these notes short. ^_~  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Reflections....  
  
  
  
'It's about damn time,' Kagome muttered when her eyes opened on the murky black dreamscape. At least it wasn't so dark as the last time, but just barely, and this time she could actually feel the presence behind her. 'Why is it that when I actually WANT to talk to you, you make yourself scarce, hn?'  
  
'I was occupied.'  
  
'Oh now that's convincing,' she rolled her eyes, folding her arms across her chest and turning around to glare at where she felt the presence. 'You're messing up my entire fucking life and all you can say is you were occupied? Would you mind telling me just what the hell happened on the new moon? Couldn't you have warned me?!'  
  
There was a long moment of silence and then a deep sigh before it answered, 'We weren't aware it was going to happen like that. We are trying to understand what exactly occured with the knowledge we do have.'  
  
'I don't believe this,' she rubbed her hand over her eyes to try and dull the ache. 'Are you telling me that this spell is doing things even you don't expect? Do you know why I'm having so much trouble with saying things that aren't me? Why it's so easy to lose my temper?'  
  
'Youkai blood is very strong, and it was in your body for a long period of time.'  
  
'One night is a long time?' Kagome felt her heart pound at the implications of the voice.  
  
'The hanyou's blood line is one of the most powerful, and for you to share it-'  
  
'If you say I'm turning hanyou I'll track you down and kill you,' she growled angrily, cutting him off.  
  
For the first time, she heard the voice chuckle, but she had a sinking sensation that she knew why, 'Oh no, Kagome, there's no youkai blood still in your body.'  
  
'I swear to God I'll find some way to give you a black eye before this is over,' she turned her back on the voice in a huff.  
  
'We had no idea that you would actually absorb the youkai half of his blood when it waned for the month,' the voice sighed and began to explain calmly. 'You remember how I told you that his soul will not release yours? It is the same with his blood. Once it was in your body it began to absorb deeper on its own.'  
  
'Wait, you're saying Inuyasha's blood doesn't WANT to leave mine? You think it's staying in my because it wants to be there?' she glanced back, brows furrowed in confusion. 'I'm so on edge because I still have Inuyasha's blood?'  
  
'Be patient, Kagome, I'm getting to that. Humans feel things differently than youkai, and the hanyou's emotions are using you as an outlet.'  
  
'Damn, no wonder he's been so calm,' Kagome muttered, raking a hand through her hair.  
  
'You're balancing against him and whenever his emotions rise above normal, you pull them into yourself,' it agreed calmly. 'It has... slightly altered you behavioral pattern. You are becoming much less...restrained in the way you express your emotion.'  
  
'I punched him,' she blushed, speaking more to herself than the voice.  
  
'A memory that will live in my heart for centuries, I assure you.'  
  
'But it's Inuyasha's blood making me do this, isn't it?' Kagome shook her head in confusion, sitting down when a wave of dizziness went through her. 'I'm not like this!'  
  
'I'd love to tell you yes, that it's all the hanyou, but actually, all his blood is doing is lowering your inhibitions. All your reactions are your own, but the youkai blood is making you act on your emotions rather than hold them in. Making them more intense.'  
  
'Oh God,' Kagome covered her mouth with her hand. 'How much youkai blood is still in me? HOW low are my "inhibitions," hn?'  
  
'Enough. Most of you is human, but then again, the hanyou's blood seemed to be satisfied with the small bit it has in you. Although I must warn you that it has increased the direction your soul will take from his.'  
  
'In what way?' she asked suspiciously.  
  
'Your heartbeat matches him, and you'll even be able to feel some of his emotions through the mark,' it responded. 'Have you noticed it getting warm sometimes?'  
  
'I've noticed it getting fucking painful!' Kagome hissed back over her shoulder. 'And darker!'  
  
'Painful?'  
  
Kagome froze, a shiver of unease going through her, 'You...sound surprised....'  
  
'It...should not have brought you pain. How often does it do this?'  
  
'Not always... once in a while,' she answered nervously. 'It was the worst with... those youkai.'  
  
The voice was silent again and Kagome was fidgeting restlessly by the time it spoke again, 'What color is the mark now?'  
  
'Red, really dark red.'  
  
'Damn.'  
  
'Wha-what the fuck?! What is that supposed to mean!?' Kagome exploded angrily, rearing up and rounding on the direction of the voice. 'It's YOUR spell, don't you have any idea what's going on? The last thing I want to hear come out of you is "damn" when I ask you what's happening!'  
  
'It's not that simple.'  
  
'You're not exactly inspiring confidence.'  
  
'Don't worry about it.'  
  
Kagome blinked at that, momentarily taken aback at that before she recovered and snorted, 'Easy for you to say, you bastard. It's not your body or your life you messing with.'  
  
'If you died, it would be unnacceptable We are seriously attempting to fix the distortions and we have nearly found the energy source that is trying to gain access to you. Once we find that energy source, we can put a stop to it. You'll just have to trust me.'  
  
'The more you say that, the less inclined I am to believe you,' she shook her head and took a step back. 'Every time I talk to you it gets a little more ridiculous to be asking, especially with as little as you want to tell me,' her brows lowered in angry frustration.  
  
'We were unaware that the hanyou's blood and soul would react to being connected to you in this way. The influence it is having on the spell's distortion is well beyond what we anticipated, and the proximity to him only changes it more. However, until we close the other path to your soul, you must stay near the hanyou and risk the change. It's too dangerous otherwise.'  
  
'What about the next new moon, hn? Will the same thing happen? And the youkai blood you say is in me... Will it go away? It's Inuyasha's blood and he needs it more than I do!' Kagome folded her arms over her chest to fight the urge to tear her own hair out.  
  
'I don't have any answers to those questions for you yet,' the large hand she'd felt before came down on her shoulder again but she slapped it away.  
  
Clenching her teeth, she hissed out, 'Did you think any of this through or did you decide to fuck with my life on a whim?'  
  
'Dammit, miko, it wasn't supposed to be like this! We are working as fast as we can to correct the unforseen errors. Your powers-'  
  
'Don't you dare try blaming this mess on me again,' her voice lowered dangerously as she interrupted. 'I've had the worst month of my life thanks to you and it sounds like it's only going to get worse. I never asked you to tattoo Inuyasha's name on my hip or "connect" us.'  
  
When she met nothing but heavy silence, she had to fight the urge to start growling again, fisting her hands so hard the knuckles went white as she whirled in a circle, 'Damn you! What the hell are you doing to me?! To Inuyasha? To US?!'  
  
It was silent so long that Kagome gave up on getting an answer, dropping down into a seated position and cradling her head in her hands. It wasn't until she felt herself sliding into more soothing blackness that she heard the voice whisper softly in her ear.  
  
'Be patient, Kagome. Just trust me.'  
  
**  
  
Now, if there was only one thing that should have crossed Shippo's mind before he went to sleep, it was that he should have been extremely wary when Inuyasha hadn't said a single thing about him joining the two of them in her sleeping bag.  
  
In a chocolate-engorged, sleepy daze, the kitsune stumpled over to where the hanyou held Kagome tightly spooned up against him, her chest rising and falling with the even peace of slumber. Yawning hugely, Shippo hopped up on the makeshift futon, squirming his way under the bag and down the gapping front of Kagome's nightshirt. He snuggled close against her in his new favorite position, keeping either a little hand or his ear over her heart . Since her near death, the steady thump reassured the kit as nothing else would.  
  
Too tired to care about little things like possessive dog demons, he hadn't registered that the regular growl he got when nearing the bed had been missing tonight. He was warm, Kagome had snuggled him close, and he had spent all day eating chocolate. Shippo was a particularly happy kitsune.  
  
That is, up until a clawed hand caught his tail beneath Kagome's clothes and yanked him rudely from his comfortable roost.  
  
Inuyasha clapped his hand over the kitsune's mouth to prevent the distressed squeal he was certain would wake Kagome and twisted, pressing his back to hers. He knew he should probably take Shippo somewhere else for this little discussion, but he still refused to leave Kagome alone when she was sleeping. He paused when she moved, shifting closer to him with a sound of protest that brought a smile to his lips before he turned his attention to his captive.  
  
Propping himself up so he could glare down at Shippo menacingly, he ground out, "Oi, runt, I think you and I need to have a talk."  
  
Shippo's eyes widened and he began squirming in earnest, his voice muffled behind the hanyou's large hand.  
  
"Quiet," he growled low in his throat, his hand tightening briefly, "If you wake Kagome, you'll regret it."  
  
The kit's eyes grew huge and he nodded quickly in understanding. When Inuyasha pulled his hand away, Shippo hissed at him, "You wait until I tell Kagome what you did to me, you jerk! She'll kick you out and it can be just her and me again like it's supposed to be."  
  
"Wrong threat to use," Inuyasha's eyes narrowed sharply. "And it's not going to work. So unless you want to lose your spot here, I want you to answer me. Why the hell is Kagome giving you candy?"  
  
"Oi, is that all?" Shippo gave him a sour look. "Kagome loves me best, that's why."  
  
"The truth," he warned, still careful to keep his voice soft to prevent rousing the girl behind him. "She's never spoiled you like this before. It's like what that runt brother of hers did, so what is it that you know that would make her do all this, hn?"  
  
Shippo balked, hurriedly trying to come up with an excuse. After all, Kagome had held up her end of their deal and if he broke it, she'd probably take back the rest of his stash! Shaking his head in vehement denial of the accusation, he stammered out, "I don't know anything! I just asked! Really nice with my cute face; the one she can't resist. Honest!"  
  
"Why you little liar," Inuyasha lifted a hand to give the kitsune a smack on the head when what was unmistakably then end of a wooden staff came down hard over the hanyou's head. It was mostly Inuyasha's surprise that gained the kit's release, but the blow effectively flattening the hanyou to the ground definitely made it easier for Shippo to wiggle free.  
  
"Inuyasha, it is very late," Miroku huffed in irritation, lifting the staff meaningfully when the hanyou sat up, rubbing his head and growling. "Bother Shippo-chan some other time and let us sleep."  
  
"Yeah!" Shippo stuck his tongue out him, vanishing under Kagome's shirt again. "Jerk," he muttered, snuggling his ear back up over her heart.  
  
"Move lower, brat," Inuyasha set his hand on the kitsune's head under her shirt and pushed him down away from her chest to her stomach.  
  
"Oi! I wanna listen to her heartbeat!" he whined.  
  
Inuyasha flicked his head through her shirt, "Quiet!"  
  
A quiet jingle had both demons glancing in Miroku's direction to see the monk looking ready to get to his feet and none too pleased about it. Inuyasha waved him off, rubbing his sore head and glaring before he sighed in temporary defeat and curled himself back against Kagome. Wrapping his arm tightly around her waist, he couldn't resist lightly nibbling on her neck and smiling when she sighed and tucked herself against him, her hand coming up to clumsy grope for his ear and rub softly.  
  
Before he let his eyes close, he muttered to Shippo, "I'll find out, you know."  
  
Shippo grunted, unimpressed, "You're just jealous."  
  
Miroku clearing his throat loudly ended the discussion like a father with two disobedient children, turning the members of the group still clinging to wakefulness to the more important task of sleeping.  
  
**  
  
The hazy image flickered along the glass surface like a pond that had just been disrupted by a light touch.  
  
"How very interesting...." 


	31. Leave the bribes to the experts.....

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi.....  
  
A/N: All right everyone, here's number 2 for today since I didn't get the other out until late. 700 reviews?! Holy Smokes!!! I am still in complete and total shock. I love you all and hopefully I can satisfy some of the horrible threats for not posting when the site is giving me troubles...LOL If you can't get in here, try the website too. See how much I love you all? And not just with the daily posting? I'm getting so much love from everyone, even some of MY favorites. It's fantastic! ^.~  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Leave the bribes to the experts....  
  
  
  
"I don't see why you're making me sit like this," Inuyasha muttered, pouting as he turned his head to catch a glimpse of Kagome in his peripheral vision. "I've bathed you before. Hell, Kagome, you were naked with me for a week!"  
  
"I was hurt, it was a completely different," Kagome shot him a suspicious glance, clearing her throat when she noticed the way his head was turned. "I mean it, Inuyasha, no peeking!"  
  
In complete defiance, he turned around even more and raised his eyebrows in silent challenge, "You said we're promised to be mated. Shouldn't I be allowed to look now?"  
  
A blush spread from her chest up when the hanyou deliberately let his gaze trail down over her exposed skin and she fought a quick battle between preserving her modesty over venting her indignation.  
  
Some things just had to be handled directly and if she had to swallow her pride a little over it, so be it.  
  
When she lowered one arm, a warm spark lit in the hanyou's eyes almost to glowing and she felt the tattoo heat, pulsing in time with her own heartbeat, just a bit stronger, heavier. The move was unexpected enough that Inuyasha didn't even have a chance to get out of the way when the soapy washcloth smacked him full in the face.  
  
"Dammit, bitch-!" he reached up to yank it off his face.  
  
"Sit," she cut him off, folding her arms over her bosom and grinning at him smugly. When he arched up, his mouth open to return the favor, she giggled and pointed out, "Water. You'll drown me."  
  
"I'll wait," Inuyasha grumbled, throwing it back at her, but turning to sit facing her and folding his arms across his chest to mimic her pose. She was getting sneaky with the spells, waiting until she was somewhere where just couldn't return the favor before using it on him. If she was going to be sneaky, then he was going to fight back in a different way.  
  
When she glared at him and jerked her head to indicate he should turn around again, he just smirked at her, cocking his head to one side, "No."  
  
Her eyes narrowed, "Inuyasha."  
  
"Are you going to bathe or not?" he chuckled softly, one brow arching in almost mocking question. "I can always come in after you, you know. I might if you don't hurry and then how will you keep me from watching? I'd probably even feel like kissing you and who knows how long that would take?"  
  
Kagome set her jaw, and turned her back on him so fast it was a miracle she didn't send herself toppling backwards. How could he be so...casual about the whole thing? Her stomach was doing flips at the suggestion, especially after what they'd been doing yesterday after school. And it just kept getting worse.  
  
She would find herself looking at him and thinking about how it felt, and it certainly didn't help matters that he slept tucked in with her now. In front of everyone, no less! She'd even woken up a few times when his hands wandered or she felt his teeth at her neck and she couldn't help but lean into him and wonder...  
  
She started at the direction on her own thoughts, forcing them out of her head and going back to her bath stiffly, "You give me the worst headaches sometimes, baka."  
  
"You've nearly made my heart stop more than once, so we're even, bitch," Inuyasha smiled warmly at her when she scowled at him and ducked under the water.  
  
The moment she disappeared beneath the surface the smile turned wicked and he turned his gaze to where she'd left her clothes in a small pile on a flat rock beside her bath bag.  
  
**  
  
Miroku's eyes followed Sango's backside down as she bent over, packing supplies into Kagome's bag. Everything was finally getting back into the normal routine they had all grown accustomed to in the last two years and Inuyasha had told them he wanted to move out this afternoon to pick up the search for the shards. He wanted to be moving right after he brought Kagome back from her bath. It would have been irritating if it wasn't so good to see Kagome well again.  
  
Shippo sat contentedly on the monk's knee, munching on yet another bit of his payoff and glancing off in the direction Kagome would be returning from. He'd need to pull her aside and tell her that Inuyasha was being mean, trying to figure out about the thing she seemed to have with his claws and her stomach. He knew she definitely didn't want Inuyasha to know about that, otherwise she wouldn't have given in so fast.  
  
"Why is there so much candy in here?" Sango brushed her hair back over her shoulder, lifting up yet another bag and frowning at it in confusion.  
  
Shippo let out a squeak, launching off Miroku to snatch the bag out of her hands and hold it against his chest defensively, "It's mine! Kagome brought it for me."  
  
Sango arched one brow suspiciously, "All of it?"  
  
"She promised," he puffed up, giving a haughty sniff as his tail twitched in mild agitation.  
  
Miroku rose to his feet, his expression set into his perfect bland look, "Shippo-chan, what do you know?"  
  
"Wha-?" Shippo's mouth dropped open as he looked up at the monk. How was everyone making the connection that he'd only get candy if he knew something? Why now? Kagome always brought him candy and no one ever batted an eye, "I don't know anything! Just like I told Inuyasha!"  
  
"Houshi-sama, you believe it's-?" Sango frowned at the suggestion in the monk's voice, looking down at the kit's guilty look.  
  
"A bribe," Miroku closed his eyes and nodded once. "There is too much of it to be anything else and Shippo is very protective of it all. It's a bribe for certain."  
  
Sango gave him a dry look, "I imagine you would know that better than the rest of us."  
  
Miroku somehow managed to look hurt, "Ah, Sango, I am a priest! I would never accept such things."  
  
Shippo snorted at the same moment as Sango, glancing up at the exterminator before he rolled his eyes and gave the priest an annoyed look, "Right... And I'm a puppy."  
  
Sango shook her head and bent down to the kit, "All right, Shippo- chan, what is it?"  
  
"What makes you think I know anything?" he backed away, chewing on his lower lip.  
  
"You were the one who found the tattoo first," she pointed out.  
  
"That was an accident and I didn't know what I was looking at," Shippo lifted his chin again. "I'm just a kid, what would I know?"  
  
"Now I know you're up to something," Sango brows furrowed.  
  
"This is a very serious situation, Shippo," Miroku moved to stand beside the exterminator, frowning down at him. "If you know something that could help us, you need to tell us."  
  
Shippo shook his head, "How stupid do you think I am? I know how important this is, and if I DID know something about it you think I wouldn't tell? I don't want Kagome to die!"  
  
Sango frowned, not wanting the kit upset over that experience all over again, "Then what is it?"  
  
"If Kagome was bribing me, it wouldn't be anything to do with that weird spell," he gave them a wary look, doing his best to give the impression he was making casual conversation and failing miserably. "IF she was."  
  
Sango straightened, looking down thoughtfully at the blush on the kitsune's cheeks. If it wasn't something important she was sure she could talk to Kagome and get the answer, but the real trick would be getting the girl away from Inuyasha. He really wasn't kidding when he said he wasn't letting her out of his sight. What surprised her though, was that Kagome didn't seem to mind, she hadn't even argued when he slid into her sleeping bag with her or this morning when he took her to bathe. Could they have...?  
  
"No...they couldn't have," she shook off that thought, frowning towards the river, but immediately going still when she felt a familiar hand rub down over her backside and even add in a squeeze.  
  
"Hentai!" Sango spun around automatically, her hand leaving a bright red print on the face of the startled monk. "I knew it! I knew it was to good to be true!" she fumed, Shippo forgotten as he scampered back to Kagome's bag to store his candy safely away.  
  
"S-Sango-chan? What was too good to be true?" he took a step back holding his hands up in a gesture for piece when he saw the particularly murderous glint in her blazing eyes.  
  
"You didn't grope me once the whole time Kagome was hurt," her eyebrow twitched with the effort it took to supress not just her anger, but the stubborn blush that seemed determined to come to her cheeks. "Now that she's well, I turn my back once and what happens?"  
  
He cleared his throat and did his best to look as dignified as possible with evidence of the slap on his face, "Why, Sango-chan, I had no idea you noticed such a thing. If you were concerned, you should have-"  
  
"Oh, you lecherous, hent-" Sango cut off rather abruptly, the flames in her eyes instantly replaced with a sort of dazed amazement as she looked at a point beyond the monk's nervous expression.  
  
Confused at what had caused his repreive, Miroku turned around, his brows rising higher than ever as he blinked in surprise.  
  
Kagome had come down the path, her cheeks red and looking mad enough to kill someone while Inuyasha trailed along behind her, obviously laughing and trying to talk to her despite the mark on his cheek that looked suspiciously similar to the one on Miroku's.  
  
Her entire abdomen was bare.  
  
"Ka-gome-sama?" Miroku managed when she stormed past them and went straight to her pack, his eyes glued to the bare expanse of pale flesh. "What happened to your clothing?"  
  
Inuyasha stopped beside the monk, biting his lip in an effort to muffle his laughter as she threw him a look even more violent than the one Sango had been wearing moments ago. Completely ignoring the question, she tugged at the low waistband of the dark jeans and growled at the amused hanyou, "Just how the fuck did you get these?! Where did you get the money?!"  
  
Sango was still blinking in shock, for once her eyes locked to the same thing as Miroku, "They're....they're so...."  
  
"What's wrong with them?" Inuyasha gestured to her. "They fit, right? Not too small? Too big?"  
  
"That's not the point!" she dropped to her knees and went digging through her pack. Shippo jumped to the side, having enough preservation instincts to know this would not be a good time to be in Kagome's way. "I don't wear pants this low!" she pushed aside the supplies and felt around for the clothing she'd brought with her. "Dammit, Inuyasha, now anyone can see this thing," she gestured to the exposed tattoo.  
  
"Why is that bad?" he shrugged, grinning when she let out a sound of triumph and started pulling another pair of pants out of the bag.  
  
"I am not walking around feudal Japan wearing..." she trailed off, looking at the jeans in her hands, brows lowering dangerously when she saw the style. "Inuyasha....!" her hands fisted in the fabric. "Where are my regular clothes?" she shot to her feet, tugging at the short white shirt in an effort to cover her bare stomach.  
  
"Your other shirts are still there," Inuyasha's voice was strained, one coming up to cover his twitching mouth.  
  
"The pants, Inuyasha, where are my fucking pants!" Kagome stalked up to him and grabbed the front of his haori, unaware of the astounded gazes coming not just from her friends but from everyone chancing on this bizarre scene. No one had ever heard Kagome speak like this, or be so bold with the hanyou....  
  
"I lost them," he swallowed hard, unable to keep his shoulders from shaking.  
  
"The same way you 'lost' them at the river? How many pieces are they in?" she released him and smacked her hand over her eyes, giving up on the battle with her shirt to fold her other arm beneath her breasts.  
  
"Did you want me to count?"  
  
"Then you did slice them up too?!" Kagome demanded, her voice likely being heard well into the forest. "God, how the hell DID you get these anyway? You never answered me!"  
  
Inuyasha's grin turned sly, "Souta."  
  
Kagome's mouth fell open and she stared at him with the most disbelieving look he'd ever seen grace her face, "Sou...ta?"  
  
"I figured if he'd keep quiet for a run, I could talk him into helping me," he shrugged, putting on his best look of arrogant superiority. "Don't worry, he borrowed money from you since you're never around to spend it."  
  
"I never suspected you would have such bargaining skills, Inuyasha," Miroku spoke before Kagome could repond. He turned to the hanyou, his voice filled with surprise and admiration. "Who would have thought you had it in you?"  
  
**  
  
Miroku was still wondering what had possessed him to turn his back on Kagome to say that several hours later as they made their way along the familiar path north in search of new rumors. If the girl had been any stronger she may have very well broken his jaw.  
  
It didn't help that Inuyasha had immediately swept his arm around her waist, pressing his hand to the tattoo and praising her on listening so well to what he taught her. Granted the hanyou had managed to ease her anger at himself with the compliments, but she was still glaring at Miroku from time to time before she would turn forward and ignore him for another few miles.  
  
Inuyasha was still grinning like an idiot over what the success of his plan, glancing at her disgruntled expression. She'd changed out of the severely undersized shirt he'd stolen from Souta's closet and back into one of her own, managing to cover most of the skin revealed by the lower pants. He refused to go back and get her other clothes when he'd gone to so much trouble to get these, but amazingly enough, Souta had been delighted to help him. All he'd had to do was let the kid hold Tetsusaiga and he'd been willing to do whatever he asked.  
  
He glanced back at the line of bare skin between shirt and pants and couldn't help but chuckle again. It had definitely been worth it, and all he'd had to do was tell him what he'd seen.  
  
Souta was just as devious as Shippo, waiting until Kagome had gone to the bathroom to shower before snatching some of her pants and her wallet. Inuyasha had been forced to change back into those horrible clothes from her time, but Kagome's mother wouldn't allow the kid to go alone and barely with him. Inuyasha hadn't wanted to leave Kagome alone at all, but.... Everything at her school had gone fairly smooth and it was unlikely she would get as angry with her studying as she had fighting. He'd finally agreed to go with him so long as it was close enough to suit him and they were fast enough that Kagome never noticed they were gone.  
  
In the end Souta had haggled for his mother's permission and they'd been off to a little clothes shop not too far from where they lived that he knew carried what the hanyou indicated.  
  
Inuyasha had seen a few other things he would have liked to pick up, but he doubted he should do that with Souta around, and he had absolutely no idea how their stupid paper worked. Besides, Kagome would be mad enough with the pants, no telling what kind of reaction he'd get if he got her more of those underthings she wore all the time.  
  
He'd gotten them home in less than five minutes with the concealing dusk and empty sidewalks to find Kagome still studying up in her room, but the pack downstairs and ready to go. It had almost been too easy to toss the pants on top of the rest of whatever she crammed in there and follow Souta up to change. That's where he'd seen the white shirt, oversized for a boy his age, but on Kagome....  
  
Yes, it had all definitely been worth it.  
  
Inyasha was so distracted with his pleasant musing that he didn't notice Kagome stopping and looking off to the right, her brows furrowed in concentration and then arching in surprise.  
  
He did, however, notice when the wind shifted and filled his head with an unmistakable and hated scent. 


	32. If I see it, it's mine.....

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi.....  
  
A/N: The servers haven't liked me during the daylight hours it seems....and I was kidnapped to go to a concert so I haven't been home until now..*unhappy face* Wai!! I love all of you so much!! Such wonderful compliments all the time!! And Himiko made up that gorgeous website for me too... *blushing like crazy* Anyhow, I need to get this out quickly so I don't get killed...LOL! Once again, I adore you all... *blowing kisses* ^_~  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: If I see it, it's mine....  
  
  
  
Kagome felt the thrum of the Shikon shards first, stopping her in her tracks in the small clearing when the feeling hit her awareness. The abrupt sense cutting her rather blood-thirtsy thoughts concerning one priest and one hanyou short and turning her in the direction she felt the tingling aura. She frowned, concentrating as she felt it come closer and seperate into two different pulses of power.  
  
Two shards.  
  
Fast.  
  
"Oh hell," she whispered, her head snapping around just as Inuyasha froze, his ears and then his face turning in the direction she had been staring at a moment ago.  
  
Inuyasha was in front of her so fast he seemed to blur, positioning himself defensively in between her and the approaching youkai. In reflex, Kagome jumped in surprise, but the vicious growl coming from the hanyou's throat had even her backing away instinctively. She'd barely taken a single step when his hand snaked out and caught her wrist, bringing her close even as he flashed her a commanding look.  
  
"Don't," Inuyasha's eyes were nearly glowing as he looked first at her and then off the right where the scent originated.  
  
Kagome self-consciously reached down, covering her hip with her palm when the tattoo warmed and pulsed strongly, "But, Inuyasha, it's only-"  
  
"Kagome!" Kouga came skidding to a halt around behind Inuyasha in a cloud of kicked-up dirt and snatched both her hands in his own.  
  
"Kouga-kun," she blinked in surprise when the wolf yanked her to one side, back-kicking the hanyou hard enough to send him crashing off the path and into the woods. "What a...a surprise!"  
  
She winced when she saw Inuyasha pick himself up off the ground, shaking his head and turning his enraged scowl at the wolf. His expression flickered with surprise for a fraction of a second before he was snarling, his eyes on Kouga holding her hands. With how he'd been acting lately when even Shippo touched her, she'd be lucky if Inuyasha didn't try to rip out the Kouga's spine with his teeth.  
  
"Oi! Get your fucking hands off her!!" Inuyasha shot forward, but with the shards, Kouga was faster, looping his arm around Kagome's waist and leaping out of the way with an arrogant grin.  
  
When Kagome caught the look on Inuyasha's face she grabbed Kouga's arm and shook it, "Kouga-kun, put me down."  
  
"Why?" the grin turned warm and delighted when his gaze slid down to her face.  
  
At the redirection of his focus, Kagome was wrenched from the wolf's grip and all but flattened to Inuyasha's chest. One arm wrapped around her torso and holding her close while the Tetsusaiga was held protectively in front of her, warning the wolf to stay back, "She said to fucking put her down, you bastard! That means keep your filthy hands off her."  
  
Kouga recovered from his momentary surprise at the speed the hanyou had used to pull Kagome away from him, his brows lowering to darken his expression, "She's my woman, inukkoro. You're the one who should fucking back off."  
  
Shippo jumped to the relative safety of Sango's shoulder, pulling a small handful of candy from his vest and settling in to watch the fight, "Oooh, this is gonna be good!"  
  
Inuyasha's lips pulled back in a nasty smile, "She's mine."  
  
Kouga looked slightly taken aback at not just his expression, but at the words, "Hn? Wha-what the hell did you to her that you'd say that so openly?!"  
  
"Inuyasha, don't you dare!" Kagome hissed at him clamping her hand down over her hip when she felt his hold loosen and his hand lower. Was that his answer to everything? He'd gotten away with this once with her friends, there was no way she wanted to be embarrassed like that in front of Kouga.  
  
Inuyasha stilled, looking down at her with surprise and more than a little hurt coloring his expression, "Kagome..."  
  
She wanted to hide it from Kouga. Even more than she'd wanted to hide it from the idiot human boy who'd acted so familiar with her. She'd yelled to her whole damn 'school' thing in her time that he was hers, what was the difference? Didn't she want this weakling to know she belonged to him? To see his name on her? They were promised to be mated, dammit, SHE said so!  
  
Kouga took full advantage of the distraction, slamming his foot into the hanyou's face to send him flying backwards and catching Kagome by the waist to hoist her up over his shoulder. He waited until the hanyou was up on his haunches before he gave him a cold glare and ground out, "I don't think it's safe to let you protect my woman anymore, inukkoro. So I'll just take her home now. Don't come after her unless you want to die."  
  
"If you don't put her down and get the hell out of here right now, asshole, I'll fucking rip you apart with my bare hands!" Inuyasha's eyes blazed as he sheathed the Tetsusaiga and shot forward, claws tensed.  
  
Rather than setting Kagome down to put her out of the attack as Inuyasha had expected, Kouga just tightened his grip and flipped out of the way, his own expression enraged, "Hup! C'mon then, you worthless mutt, I'm gonna enjoy punishing you for trying to take my woman!"  
  
Kagome was getting damn tired of being thrown over shoulders.  
  
And more than that, the two of them were seriously pissing her off.  
  
Her head hurt enough without having to try and think of new ways to break up these two fighting and she was going to put a stop to it. Now.  
  
"Inuyasha, sit!"  
  
Kouga was immediately grinning from where he stood and Inuyasha swearing murderously for all of two seconds before Kagome twisted on the wolf's shoulder and slammed her knee into his chin as hard as she could. She somehow managed to slide out of his hold and off his shoulder before he stumbled back and sat down, blinking and shaking his head to clear the dizziness her blow had caused.  
  
Kagome's hands were fists on her hips as she glared between the two of them and waited for their attention to completely center on her before she barked out, "Dammit, what do I have to do to get you two to knock it the fuck OFF!"  
  
Kouga was gaping up at her, his sore jaw forgotten at what was totally at odds with the speech and behavior he was used to. Not that he minded, he thought, his smile returning even wider than before as he looked her over appraisingly. She was very enticing like that.... her eyes blazing, and she'd even managed to stagger him.  
  
"And I thought you had guts before," Kouga was back on his feet and in front of her with her hands in his before she could suck in the breath to yell at them again. "This is fucking great! I love you even more like this."  
  
Kagome didn't even get a chance to form a response in her scattered thoughts when Inuyasha's fist connected with the wolf's face. His hand dropped only enough to snake around her shoulders and slam her back to his chest. Ignoring her shriek of protest, he grabbed her shirt and yanked it up even as he twisted her so her hip faced the other youkai.  
  
"Here! Take a long look! Can a worthless bastard like you fucking read or do I have to tell you what this means?!" Inuyasha snarled out, taking some satisfaction in the way the wolf's eyes widened in surprise when the lowered to the red mark and filled with recognition.  
  
Kouga stalked back up to them, punching Inuyasha in the face yet again, making Kagome freeze when she felt his fist brush so close it grazed her hair. With the hanyou back on the ground, Kouga grabbed her hips and turned her himself so she could look down at the crimson lines more closelly, "Oi....Kagome? How did inukkoro get his name on you?"  
  
"I-"  
  
"No matter," Kouga shrugged and flexed his claws against her hip, lifting his hand so that his claws almost touched it. "We can just cut it off of you and then-"  
  
That was as far as he got when Inuyasha's hand wrapped around his throat and lifted him off the ground. If Kagome thought he'd been growling before, that was nothing compared to the sounds coming from the hanyou now. His eyes had bled red, glowing violently as he bared his fangs and slowly squeezed the skin beneath his hand, "What the FUCK did you just say?!"  
  
Kouga reacted instinctively, bringing both legs up in an attempt to kick them into his chest and gain his release from the choking hold, "I said we can cut your fucking name off MY woman!"  
  
Inuyasha caught Kouga's leg, digging his claws deep into the wolf's thigh even as he turned and flung him into the trees with all his strength. Kouga slammed hard through at least two trees before they briefly lost sight of him, but his bellowing curses echoed easily back to them to show he was still close.  
  
Inuyasha would have gone after him immediately.  
  
At that moment he wanted nothing more than to tear the wolf's head off for even thinking of hurting Kagome on purpose, let alone daring to say it out loud. For wanting to cut his name, HIS proof, off her hip and saying it so casually to her. For ever putting his hands on her at all.  
  
Kagome caught his arm, "Inuyasha, wait! He doesn't-"  
  
His thoughts immediately redirected, a clawed hand fisted in her shirt over her heart, yanking her forward so fast she stumbled and had to catch herself against his chest. Inuyasha's fastened his mouth to hers, bruising, branding, and almost violent all at once in a blatant demand for her response.  
  
Inuyasha was blind and deaf to everything around him, so focused on gaining answers from Kagome that he probably wouldn't have noticed if someone tried to run him through. But he had to know... What if she pushed him away? She had always been ridiculously kind to Kouga, never letting Inuyasha kill him and put an end to the violent competition once and for all. Like now. She didn't want him to go after the wolf even after everything he'd said. Did she want to let him cut her? Just to get his name off her?  
  
Kagome felt the desperation in the devouring kiss, and her fingers curled in his haori as she tried frantically to think what he could possibly be desperate for. It was next to impossible. Just like it always was when Inuyasha was kissing her... But with the last complete thought that managed to make itself known, she wondered if the hanyou actually wanted reassurance. Could he be so unsure?  
  
She slid her hand up to his cheek, turning her head and opening her mouth a little wider. Apparantly that was the right response, as Inuyasha's hand tightened before moving around to the small of her back and press her into him while the other sank deep into her hair. The kiss was no less intense or consuming, but she dimly registered that the desperate edge was gone, replaced by a sense of relief and...elation?  
  
Sango couldn't really remember a time she had been this shocked. She stood blinking rapidly as though trying to clear the image in front of her from her sight while Miroku watched beside her, no less surprised but covering it with much more aplomb and keeping a hand over Shippo's eyes.  
  
"Hou-houshi-sama... do you think they...they might have-?" Sango was having difficulty even forming the question, her mind trying to deny it even as her eyes told her it certainly seemed true.  
  
"It certainly... looks that way," Miroku nodded.  
  
"What's going on?!" Shippo squirmed in the priest's hold. "Dammit, let me see!"  
  
Inuyasha rumbled low in his chest, the tension in him easing at the honest emotions he could feel in her embrace. Kagome was soft and accepting, moving against him naturally as though she realized she was right where she belonged. She couldn't possbily kiss him like this if she didn't mean it, and that meant she didn't want Kouga.  
  
"What the fuck do you think you're doing, inukkoro?!" Kouga's outraged snarl snapped Inuyasha's attention back to the situation, but this time his attitude was much more confident, even arrogant.  
  
He opened his gleaming eyes to watch the wolf, but purposefully tightened his hands, well aware that Kagome was too distracted to notice Kouga's reappearance. He smiled against her lips before ending the kiss, pressing her into him again and sliding his arms around her tightly, "I told you, she's fucking mine."  
  
Kagome took several deep breaths, desperately trying to clear her head when his lips left hers, but Inuyasha's hand stroking lazily up and down her spine beneath her shirt was keeping her from getting herself back under control. She felt like she was on fire, her knees weak and shaking as she slumped in Inuyasha's hold, trusting him to keep her from falling flat on her face.  
  
Kouga's eyes narrowed dangerously, nostrils flaring at the arousal in her scent, "I'm going to tear off your fucking hands for touching her, you worthless bastard!"  
  
Inuyasha's eyes were hard and deadly even as his smile turned smug, "Funny, I was just about to say that."  
  
Kouga snarled and shot forward, Inuyasha carefully setting Kagome aside as he leapt to meet the attack.  
  
Ignoring the clashing youkai, Sango made her way over to where Kagome had more or less dropped to the ground, staring blankly ahead and barely supporting herself on her arms. Reaching down, she set her hand on the girl's shoulder, shaking lightly, "Kagome-chan, are you okay?"  
  
Kagome turned to look up at her, her eyes still glassy as she lifted her hand to touch her swollen lips, "I... that was... I think so."  
  
Somehow that just hadn't been like the other times he'd kissed her. This one had left her head reeling and that heat still streaking through her veins, making her heart pound in her ears. She could feel the tattoo pulsing in time with her heart, spreading a sort of longing through her at the almost harsh, demanding feel of his lips against hers. Before he'd been careful, almost as though he was afraid he'd hurt her, but this time he hadn't held back a thing.  
  
It had been more than a little overwhelming, rough enough to occassionally border on pain, and... and unbelievably exciting. She was frustrated, still trying to tamp down the urge to run in between the fighting youkai and demand to know just how the hell he could kiss her like that one second and try to kill Kouga the next.  
  
Miroku held out a hand to help her up, giving her a friendly smile, "Here, let me help."  
  
Numbly, she set her hand in his and let them pull her to her feet, her eyes drawn to where Inuyasha was currently slamming Kouga face first into the ground, "I should stop them."  
  
"I think she's had a shock," Sango shook her head, murmuring to Miroku when she saw the glassy look hadn't left the girl's eyes. Taking her hand, Sango tried to pull her away from Inuyasha, "You need some water, Kagome-chan. Houshi-sama, if that hand hits skin Inuyasha will kill you," she cut in when Miroku's hand lifted towards the exposed curve of Kagome's hip.  
  
Miroku gave her an innocent look, "I was merely helping Kagome-chan stand."  
  
Sango gave him a dry frown, "Then again, I might kill you and save him the trouble."  
  
Kagome sucked in a breath sharply, her hand clenching over her chest when she felt a chill streak through her. Her heart pounded and she whirled back to see Inuyasha rising to his feet, wiping blood from his chin while an equally battered looking Kouga faced him across the clearing, panting hard and snarling wildly.  
  
Inuyasha was angry and injured, and it was spilling over into her.  
  
She could distantly hear her memory of the voice telling her not to get angry or use her magic even as her brows lowered and her eyes began to gleam. She slowly turned and started to walk back, turning a freezing glare and the monk and exterminator when they tried to stop her. Satisfied only when they stopped trying to follow, Kagome started walking again, her steps slow and measured even as her hands curled into fists at her sides.  
  
"Houshi-sama?" Sango gritted her teeth, hating the helpless feeling swamping through her as her mnd raced for something, ANYTHING she could do.  
  
Miroku looked at Inuyasha and Kouga grappling and then down to Kagome as the aura around her curled and sparked aound her, dangerous and more powerful than he remembered her aura being before when she was angry. He took a step back, brow furrowed in concern as he felt for the presences he'd sensed in her the last time they'd seen this.  
  
"Only two magics this time," he murmured in confusion. "But they're...they're mixed together. Inuyasha! Kagome is-"  
  
"Sit!" Kagome yelled when she was almost standing in the middle of the fight.  
  
Miroku's surprise was nearly comical, "Or maybe she doesn't need our help at the moment."  
  
"Dammit, Kagome, what are you-?" Inuyasha reared up, but froze at the look on her face, or more precisely, that he could literally feel of rage pouring off her. The way her eyes were glowing as she watched first him and then Kouga was deeply unsettling, "No. Kagome?"  
  
Kouga cocked his head as he regarded her, breathing heavily from his previous exertion as he moved to her side. Confused at the odd power vibrating off her, he reached out and touched her arm to draw her gaze, "Kagome?"  
  
"Kouga-kun?" her voice was sweet, a little too sweet and it had Inuyasha trying to inch backwards in concern.  
  
"What is it?" he smiled affectionately, relaxing at the normal response and blissfully unaware of the sense of foreboding surrounding them.  
  
Kagome grabbed his arm with unnatural strength, ducking under it and twisting to slam him over her head and flat on his back. To the amazement of all of them, the moment she had him down, she dropped to one knee, her eyes sparking red as she put all her weight behind her shoulder and slammed her fist into his face.  
  
Inuyasha blinked owlishly at her, slowly rising to his feet as she rolled back on her haunches, glaring down at the stunned wolf youkai, "K- Kagome?" 


	33. Don't forget to duck....

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi  
  
A/N: Oi!!!! FINALLY!!! Gomen, minna, but this is literally the very first time I have been able to access my account and update, so for the sake of everyone's sanity, this will be a mass update....Chapters 33-40, however, be warned... My closet hentai fans talked me into doing the evil lemon and that will be a *SEPERATE POST!!* So the 36 you see in this post will actually be 37 if you've been following the website... I hope that wasn't too confusing.  
  
Also, I am in the middle of a move from east coast back to the west coast, so my updates will occassionally miss a day or two. Don't worry! As my faithful minions will tell you I've been stopping in libraries just to update new chapters. See how much I love all of you??? LOL, so this will be the last chapter with author notes for a little bit. Love to you all from the happy evil puppy!! ^_~  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Don't forget to duck....  
  
  
  
In response, Kagome's head turned slightly so she could cast Inuyasha a sideways glance, and Inuyasha swore in concerned anger. Her eyes weren't the same as the other times she'd lost control, but the gleaming irises had unmistakably turned scarlet. That had to mean she was borderline, wavering between that possessed state and her normal frame of mind.  
  
"You're hurt," she growled out quietly, her lashes lowering as she stood and scowled first at him and then at Kouga when the wolf grunted in discomfort and lifted his upper body off the ground, trying to shake off the punch. "I can feel it," her hand lifted to lightly brushed over her pounding heart.  
  
Inuyasha shook his head, holding out a hand to her and hoping his voice sounded almost normal as he tried to calm her, "I'll be just fine, Kagome. Come here."  
  
She turned her back on him, sliding away from his outstretched hand with a suspicious glare, "No."  
  
"Fuck," Inuyasha's brows lowered dangerously at her motion, his anger rising at the thought she might be sliding back into that possessed state.  
  
Was the second voice back? The one that wanted her to kill him, that was trying to steal her away and cause her pain. The one that told her not to let him touch her because...because the first voice said it was his soul keeping the other magic out.  
  
He blinked in surprise, that was it! All he had to do was catch hold of her and the other magic would be forced out of her. But then, she'd never been out of his range of spirit, so how was it getting in? It had better not have found some other way to enter her mind.  
  
"Kagome, whatever you hear in your head, ignore it. You have to come to me," Inuyasha gritted his teeth and demanded, taking a step towards her even as she slid back away from him another step.  
  
Kagome's gaze moved to Kouga, not even glancing the hanyou's way as she responded to him, "Not yet, Inuyasha. You have no idea how angry I am right now, and I don't intend to let it go."  
  
Kouga was rubbing his face, trying to connect that it was Kagome who'd just dropped him and broken his nose. Awestruck, he looked at her and then over to Inuyasha's tense expression. Kagome's entire aura had altered, and her eyes...she almost looked- and felt, like a youkai. His eyes narrowed and he glared suspiciously at the hanyou, "What the hell did you do to her, inukkoro?"  
  
"You fucking stay out of this, wolf," Inuyasha snapped at him, sinking into a crouch in preparation to grab hold of Kagome before she could slide completely into that uncontrolled state. He wouldn't let that happen to her again, not when he knew he could protect her.  
  
"If you've done something to Kagome, I'll-hrk!?" Kouga cut off when Kagome shot forward, bringing her fist up into his solar plexus and immediately punching the air out of his lungs.  
  
"Stay right there, Inuyasha!" Kagome held up a hand, her tone of voice stopping him in place when he would have launched himself in between them. "Don't come near me," her eyes sparked before she turned her attention back to Kouga.  
  
She felt more than heard the whispering this time, voices overlapping in her head indistinctly and urging her to run away from all of them. She shook off the quiet sound, much more focused on the heat humming through her. The sensation she had been feeling after Inuyasha's kiss had melted so easily into anger, the feel beating in at her head from all sides. Her head ached trying to block it out, but the moment she gave in and let it sweep through her, a wash of power pushed the ache aside and filled her with an odd excitement.  
  
Whatever this was, it felt too good to give up without enjoying it a little.  
  
Whispers or not, she needed to keep Inuyasha from touching her for just a bit longer.  
  
Images swam through her head, almost directions, she thought with a frown. 'Hell, who needs Inuyasha teaching me if I can do this?' her lips spread in a slow grin, flexing her fingers and closing her eyes to let the instincts pour into her.  
  
Kouga's eyes went wide when Kagome lashed out again, ducking out of the way just in time and reflexively sweeping her legs out from under her. He flipped onto his feet even as she rose into slight crouch, her hands flexed as though she had claws as well.  
  
It was one of the worst reactions he could have had.  
  
He barely had a chance to refocus on her, when Inuyasha was on him again, raking his claws along Kouga's shoulder when he failed to notice in time to dodge.  
  
Kouga snarled, turning his back on Kagome to face Inuyasha, the one he perceived as the more dangerous threat. He immediately regretted the action when he felt her elbow ram against the small of his back and send him staggering forward into Inuyasha's fist.  
  
On his back again with his head spinning, Kouga leapt up and back to keep both Inuyasha and Kagome in front of him. Stunned, in pain, and confused beyond imagining, he looked back and forth between them again and again, "What the fuck have you done to Kagome, inukkoro?!"  
  
Miroku put a hand to his head, desperately trying to process what he was seeing. If Kouga tried to dodge Kagome, Inuyasha would attack and vice versa. They might just kill him if they failed to find a way to calm Kagome, "If this wasn't so serious, it'd be quite entertaining."  
  
Shippo was grinning broadly, cheering Kagome on when she kicked the wolf in the stomach and leapt away from Inuyasha's reaching grasp, "I'm entertained!"  
  
"Inuyasha knows how to snap her out of this, doesn't he?" Sango ignored the kitsune to inquire of no one in particular. It was disturbing to watch Kagome like this, the way she stood, moved, everything.... It was reminiscent to either Inuyasha or Kouga, or even a bizarre combination of the two. Almost as if...  
  
"Absorbing energy... Kagome-chan said the voice told her she was absorbing energy around her, but she was safe with Inuyasha because she was balancing herself against him," Sango murmured, her eyes widening in understanding. "The way she fights when she loses control-" she began only to have Miroku interrupt when he picked up on her line of reasoning.  
  
"She stops balancing and starts absorbing? Or perhaps the balance for his anger is too much for a human to handle," Miroku wondered aloud. "When she absorbs from a youkai does she starts mimicking their energy if it overwhelms her own? That would explain why she fights like they do, or that she acts so...different."  
  
"But what would decide if she balanced or absorbed?" Sango set her jaw when Kagome darted forward and slammed her shoulder into the wolf's stomach in the same moment Inuyasha took a swipe with his claws that grazed his cheek.  
  
"Too bad that stupid wolf attacked her," Shippo sighed, shaking his head as he watched Kagome and Inuyasha unconsciously moving to compliment the other and make it impossible for Kouga to escape or even successfully defend himself. "He should know by now that pisses Inuyasha off so badly that he can barely think straight."  
  
Miroku and Sango gaped down at the kit in amazement before Sango bent and scooped him up, hugging him close to her chest, "Shippo-chan, you're a genious!"  
  
"I am?" Shippo blinked in surprise, but as he was not one to turn down compliments or affection, the surprise changed quickly to an arrogant grin. "I mean, of course I am!"  
  
Miroku took a step forward and called out, "Inuyasha! You must calm yourself!"  
  
"Stay the fuck out of this, bouzu!" Inuyasha snarled back, dodging under a wild swing from the wolf, but accidently catching Kagome's elbow between his shoulder blades and crashing to the ground. She hissed and hopped away from him when he tried to grab her leg, but he slammed his fist against the ground and yelled up at her, "Dammit, Kagome, stay!"  
  
Kagome let out an outraged curse when she dropped to the ground, "Sit!"  
  
When Inuyasha crashed to the ground as well, Kouga shot back several feet, glaring in angry frustration at the two humans watching from what they considered a safe distance. Panting and wiping the back of his hand over his bruised, bloody face he practically roared out, "Will someone tell me what the fuck is going on here?!"  
  
Miroku shook his head, yelling at Inuyasha again, "YOU'RE what's setting her off, Inuyasha! You and Kouga. Remember? She's absorbing the energy around her?"  
  
Inuyasha looked up, his expression startled and filled with self- disgust, "Getting angry.... She said it talked about what happened when she got angry."  
  
"I'm fucking pissed now!" Kagome hissed at him, her fists flexing in her lap as she tried to get herself free of the spell.  
  
"And you two aren't helping her any with this nonsense!" Miroku pointed his staff at the startled youkai males when they started growling at each other again. "Kagome-sama is human. How do you think she's handling YOUR combined emotion? Youkai emotions!"  
  
"Oh hell," Inuyasha grunted, lifting himself and taking long, deep breaths in an effort to forcefully cool his anger. He was right, youkai emotions would be far too strong for a human to handle without getting overwhelmed and there were two of them for her to leech of if she starting absorbing again.  
  
From the way Kagome was watching them both as the spell wore off, flipping herself to her feet and vibrating with anger, he'd say she was definitely pulling off their emotions. Why else was it so easy to calm himself when he knew the should still be just a breath away from ripping Kouga into little pieces?  
  
What Miroku said made more sense than anything else they'd come up with, and after what that first voice said combined with what the second voice tried to prevent her from doing, it had to be right. If he could catch hold of her before her control slipped any further, he could calm the youkai rage in her and get her back to normal. But she wasn't letting any of them close. The strange thing was that she still seemed to be almost in her proper frame of mind.  
  
Did she not want to balance out this time?  
  
"Oi, wolf, calm the fuck down before you set Kagome off worse than she is already!" Inuyasha barked at Kouga as he righted himself, his mind racing to think up a way to distract her enough to grab her.  
  
"I'm right here," Kagome growled at him in annoyance, her hands clenching and unclenching as the anger in her rippled over her mind. "Nothing's wrong with my ears, Inuyasha," the ripple turned into an all out enticement and unable to resist that pulse rushing through her blood, she was up and attacking Kouga yet again when her mobility returned.  
  
Kouga flipped away from her, his brows furrowed in helpless confusion as he tried to keep out of her range. He didn't want to hurt her, and that idiot hanyou and human said something about her absorbing emotions. He'd only heard of a few female youkai who were capable of such a thing, and that was only when they were picking mates... Was Kagome in heat then to be doing it herself?  
  
Kouga frowned and slid around behind her, eyes narrowed as he ducked under her fist and tried to inhale her scent. No, not quite in heat, so why was she being so violent? It was giving him a headache trying to puzzle out, and he darted away when energy crackled in the air around her and made his hair stand on end.  
  
Through a stroke of dumb luck he found himself landing beside Inuyasha, facing the girl across from them as she panted softly, skin gleaming with persperation while she turned in his newest direction. He tried to feel guilty for admiring the wild appearance, but hell, who wouldn't? Now if he could just get her to stop attacking HIM, so he could enjoy it.  
  
"Fuck, inukkoro, HOW did you pull this off?" Kouga muttered sourly at the turn his admiring had taken. "It's like she's a completely different person!"  
  
"You don't know the half of it," Inuyasha muttered, his eyes narrowing sharply as he figured out the best way to get a hold of her and calm her down.  
  
The plan that came to mind had his lip curling in distaste, but try as he might, there just didn't seem to be any other ideas forthcoming. He couldn't risk her hurting herself or trying to run when the owner of that other voice could be anywhere, just waiting for something like this. No, the best way would be if she was distracted and didn't realize he had hold of her until she was already there.  
  
He clenched his fists, silently praying he wouldn't regret this as he ground out, "Wolf, are you still fast enough to get behind her?"  
  
Kouga gave him a sour, insulted look, "Kagome is a human, asshole, of course I'm fast enough! I just did that, didn't I?"  
  
Inuyasha grunted and nodded a single time, "How long do you think you could hold her still?"  
  
"As long as fucking I want, why?" the wolf youkai turned defensive at the insinuation, his chest already puffing up to brag about his prowess.  
  
"Then I need you to get behind her," Inuyasha hissed low in his throat to prevent Kagome from hearing them. "Pin her arms at her sides so I can get to her," his lip curled back father in an instinctive threat and even deeper disgust at what he was suggesting Kouga attempt. "But if you hurt her, expect to get your arms ripped off," the hint of red was back in his eyes as he caught and held the youkai's surprised look.  
  
If Kouga thought it was an odd plan, to his credit, he didn't say anything, just shrugged, nodded, and shot across the grove, clamping his arms around her bosom and dragging her up against him. Kagome let out a shriek of alarm, her eyes going wide as her spine arched and she thrashed in his hold, ramming her forehead into his chin as her eyes glazed.  
  
Pain arched through her when the wolf made contact with bare skin and desperate to escape the unwanted sensation she did her best to throw off the person causing it. Rearing up and doing her best to wrench herself free of the man holding her still.  
  
Kouga stumbled back and flashed Inuyasha a supremely irritated gaze, shouting as he tightened his hold. Something was wrong, he thought grimly when a shiver went down his spine followed by a flash of weariness. He felt...drained, and the worse it got, the more Kagome was able to push against his arms, "Now what?! Hurry up, asshole, this is... fucking harder than it looks!"  
  
Before he'd finished speaking, Inuyasha was in front of them, ripping Kagome from the wolf's hold and tucking her up against him. Kouga gaped when Inuyasha clamped a hand over the tattoo, holding the girl pressed firmly into him despite her struggling until a severe shudder went through her from head to toe. The weird youkai-like aura began to fade away when Kagome slumped into Inuyasha, and it was obvious that had the hanyou not been holding her so closely she would have crumpled to the ground.  
  
Inuyasha slid down to his knees right where he stood, dropping his chin onto her head as he lifted her into his lap and used one arm to hold her there while he stroked her hair lightly with the other, "Shh....Kagome, calm down. We've done this before, remember? Just focus on me instead of whatever you were feeling."  
  
Kagome pressed her face against his throat, eyes closed as a shudder went through her, but this time it was a warmth that was taking away the god-awful pain. Her mind was fuzzy again, the whispers muffled so that they were little more than a hint of sound at the back of her consciousness, still too indistinct to understand as they faded away under the loud throb in her ears.  
  
'Oh God, I was fighting with Kouga?' her eyes snapped open and she clenched her fists as her thoughts finally began to clear. 'And enjoying it?'  
  
Inuyasha was murmuring to her, mostly nonsense, like he had the other night, determined to get a handle on his own anger and in turn, her own. He barely noticed Kouga glaring down at them, his expression frustrated and bemused as Kagome shook and Inuyasha whispered encouragement softly in her ear.  
  
"That...that was strange...." Kagome flinched, her hip throbbing painfully as bit by bit, the soft warmth dulled the edge of that seething anger, smoothing it out into a more serene sensation and bringing a wave of exhaustion. "Inuyasha?"  
  
"I'm right here," he soothed when she shivered again and tried to pull herself closer, her arms sliding around his neck with almost child- like vulnerability.  
  
Kouga took a step back, his eyes narrowed as he watched tears form at the corner of Kagome's eyes and slip silently down her cheeks, Inuyasha muttering to her even as he rubbed his thumb over her cheek to brush them away. From what he could hear of the nearly silent grumbling, it almost sounded like the hanyou was lecturing her.  
  
Casually, Kouga lifted his hand to wipe the blood off his face, eyes gleaming as they roamed first Kagome's shaking body and then Inuyasha's as the hanyou rocked her gently back and forth. This was just bizarre... What could the mutt have done to her that would make her fight like a youkai one second and then shake like a baby the next? Were they travelling to fix her? Would it be better for her to leave her be until they got her back to herself? Or at least under control?  
  
He swore, his head aching again. Well, she wasn't mated, he could smell that, so it couldn't hurt to let the hanyou get her back to normal, right? He could always come back... Nodding at his internal decision, he turned on his heel and stalked to the edge of the woods before he paused. He couldn't let that mutt think he was giving in, "Inukkoro...."  
  
Inuyasha looked up as Kagome slid into unconsciousness, his eyes hard as they regarded the cause of her most recent distress, "What the fuck do you want now?"  
  
"I'll be back for Kagome soon," Kouga glanced over his shoulder to promise. "Take care of her until I do. Get her back to normal for me."  
  
Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her more securely, biting down the surge of instinctive anger at the threat to his promised mate, "If you ever lay a hand on her again, asshole, I'll cut off your damn legs. She's branded with my name not yours."  
  
The wolf flashed an arrogant smile, "That can always change."  
  
"You're lucky I don't fucking shred you right now," he growled back, eyes gleaming brightly with renewing anger. "If it weren't for Kagome's condition I would have done it already."  
  
Kouga snorted, "Ha! A slow weakling like you? You can fucking try, bastard."  
  
Inuyasha was still scowling, cradling Kagome to him possessively when the wolf vanished in a whirlwind of dust. 


	34. As a youkai

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: As a youkai.....  
  
  
  
Miroku watched Inuyasha silently from where he sat across the small campfire, a thoughtful expression on his face. He seriously doubted the hanyou was aware of how very telling his behavior towards the unconscious girl was, but he wasn't going to be the one to bring it to his attention. With Kagome still completely unresponsive to their attempts to wake her, Inuyasha was more likely to take his head off than to admit to the affectionate display.  
  
Inuyasha was seated on the ground for once, leaning back against the trunk of a massive tree with his legs folded around Kagome to cradle her close. He'd positioned her in his lap so he could press her head against his chest, one hand absently stroking over her cheek or her lips as he glared alternately into the fire and away. His other hand was wrapped around her bent knees, his hand was splayed wide on her back and rubbing gently. Every so often he would dip his head and press his lips to her forehead or her temple before he went back to glaring at the cheery blaze.  
  
"This wasn't like the last time," Inuyasha finally spoke, still refusing to make eye-contact with the rest of them. "She acted... different," his hands tightened at the admission.  
  
"How?" Miroku inquired in the same quiet tone, his eyes on Kagome's pale face in contrast to the blood red of Inuyasha's kimono.  
  
"Before her eyes were like they were when she attacked those two youkai," he answered, brushing her bangs out of her face. "This time... they just changed color, and she wasn't acting like she did when... when she fought last time."  
  
"What did happen the last time, Inuyasha?" Sango leaned forward, her jaw set in determination. He'd barely told them anything about what had happened to Kagome when Kikyou had almost killed her, and even though she understood his reluctance to speak about it, they needed to know. It would take all of them to figure out how to break this spell, and the sooner he admitted that and shared all the information he had, the easier it would be.  
  
Inuyasha sighed heavily, stroking her hair and looking off into the woods before he swore and responded, "Like I said, she was talking as though there was someone speaking with her, but I couldn't hear it. It had to be that second voice she told us about, but she seemed... detached from it. She was arguing with it, but this time, she was... excited, and she didn't seem to be hearing anything strange. It was only her."  
  
Miroku frowned, folding his arms in the sleeves of his robes as he pondered what that could mean, "Kagome-sama said that she was told to stay near you by the first voice she heard. That she would be safe as long as she was within your aura, ne?"  
  
"So? She never fucking left it and this still happened," he growled out, his hand fisting in her hair as he dropped his chin to the top of her head. "It didn't make any difference with her being with me," the muscle at his jaw jumped with the strain he was putting on it.  
  
"But she did not lose her control to the extent you described when she was not in range," the monk pointed out. "It's likely your presence that protected her from that, Inuyasha."  
  
"Keh."  
  
Sango's brows drew together in concern at the flat tone of voice, sharing a look with Miroku before she turned her attention back to the hanyou, "Inuyasha, none of us know how to fully protect Kagome-chan from this spell. You can't blame yourself for-"  
  
"It's my responsibility to keep her from getting hurt, Sango," Inuyasha cut her off with a grunt of irritation. He didn't need to hear that bullshit from them when they knew as well as he did that he had failed her again. He had more important issues to address before he was willing to hear their accusations, "What did you sense, bouzu? How many were trying to get inside her head this time?"  
  
Miroku frowned in disapproval at the redirection, well aware Inuyasha was intending to wallow in guilt over this for a long time to come. The scowl on the hanyou's face warned him that he wasn't in the mood to argue it now, "Two."  
  
"So two things were trying to control-"  
  
"No, Inuyasha, there were only two magics around her at all," Miroku corrected, his hand tightening on his staff absently as he recalled the odd crackle of energy that had wrapped itself around Kagome before she attacked Kouga. "One of them was her own, but it was mixed in so completely with the second magic that it was difficult to sense anything else."  
  
Inuyasha's head finally lifted to focus on the monk, his mouth set into a sharp frown as his eyes gleamed dangerously, "Two? Mixed together?"  
  
"It happened after you took a pretty hard hit," Sango added as Inuyasha's hand moved from Kagome's hair down to her neck and began to lightly stroke along the curve. "She wasn't watching the fight, but when you were hit, she grabbed her chest. The aura around her changed when it happened, but it only became...ah, intense when she looked at you."  
  
"That's when the magics flared up together," Miroku finished with a stoic nod. "The closer she got to you two fighting, the stronger the magics got. But they were not pushing against each other as they did the last time I sensed it. This time there were...interwoven."  
  
"You had to notice she was moving like you," Sango shook her head, frowning when the hanyou looked startled. "You didn't notice?"  
  
"Inuyasha, Kagome-sama is not a physical fighter," the monk moved back to sit against a tree in the same manner as Inuyasha, settling his staff against his shoulder easily before he closed his eyes. "However, when she became angry, even you and Kouga were having difficulties defending against her."  
  
"We didn't want to hurt her," he grumbled, self-conscously lifting her higher against his chest so he could tuck her face into the crook of his neck.  
  
"Of course not," Miroku leaning his head back, cracking one eye open to catch the faintly embarrassed expression on the hanyou's face before he let his lips curl in a small smile. "She'll be fine, Inuyasha. You should get some sleep."  
  
"If you'd like, we can watch over Kagome-chan," Sango offered quietly, lifting one hand in his direction in an absent gesture.  
  
Inuyasha made a rude sound in his throat at the suggestion, sliding his arm down to catch Kagome behind the knees as he shot upwards into the high branches of the tree he'd been leaning on. Sango blinked in surprise at the sudden motion, looking up to where she could just barely make out Inuyasha's sillhouette as he settled himself and Kagome for the night.  
  
"Or not," she muttered, shooting him a dry glare before moving to bed down for the night.  
  
She sighed and leaned down to scoop up the sleeping Shippo before settling herself against Kirara's curled form to get some sleep. With Inuyasha so attuned to everything around them, it was always easier for them to relax at night and with Kagome still unconscious, she doubted the hanyou would sleep at all.  
  
"Don't even think about, houshi-sama," she muttered the moment she heard the faint rustle of clothing to her left. There was a regretful sigh, followed by the sound of him returning to his original position and then only the regular sounds of the night around them.  
  
Inuyasha watched Sango and Miroku fall asleep dispassionately, his hand resting lightly over Kagome's heart to feel it beating with his own. The spell had saved Kagome's life once, in a way, making her heart beat in time to his when it should have stopped from her injuries. Following his heart's directions, she'd said, the voice telling her that his soul wouldn't release it, release her, even though she had healed enough to survive without the guidence..  
  
Damn right he wouldn't release her, he thought with a scowl, his claws flexing at the thought and lightly piercing the fabric of her shirt. Kagome belonged to him, and there was nothing some future monk or strange voice could do or say to take what was his.  
  
**  
  
Kagome's eyes opened as though she'd never been unconscious at all, blinking rapidly with the rush of disorientation not entirely due to the fact that all she could see was white. She remembered kissing Inuyasha, or rather, Inuyasha kissing her as though branding her even more completely than the tattoo. Then Kouga had appeared and she felt... she felt so angry at his presence that something in her mind had been urging her to attack him, force him as far away from her as possible.  
  
When he'd hurt Inuyasha, she'd felt that nagging anger increase into full blown rage that he'd dared hurt...hurt someone who belonged to her? 'God, I really am starting to sound like Inuyasha,' Kagome shifted, closing her eyes for a moment to recall what she had done after that.  
  
It had felt so good, the strength flowing through her even as her mind filled with images and directions, everything she needed to attack the wolf youkai. The sensation had been so incredible that she had avoided all Inuyasha's attempts to catch hold of her, not wanting to lose that warmth and power. She'd accidentally hit him once, feeling a jolt go through her at the contact and then the bastard had subdued her, she frowned in irritation. That had made her want to keep her hold on the energy even more.  
  
But then Kouga had grabbed her, sending pain rushing through her until she felt the familiar strength of Inuyasha's arms coming around her. He called her sneaky, but he was the one tricking her into getting caught! How was she going to prove she was strong enough to mate-?  
  
She gasped in shock at her own thoughts and arched back, only to have a familiar hand catch her by the back of the neck and keep her from moving any farther.  
  
Inuyasha looked down at her face, one brow arching in speculation at the light blush on her cheeks and the confused look in her wide eyes, "What is it?"  
  
Kagome's eyes slid down to his mouth before they dropped to his chin in embarrassment and stammered out, "Ah... How long was I asleep?"  
  
The tension in his body slowly flowed out of him and his lips pulled back in an arrogant smirk, his hand lifting to brush lightly over her cheek, "All afternoon."  
  
His smile grew at the shiver that went through her, turning into deep throated laughter when she squirmed and let out a soft shriek of surprise, "Dammit, Inuyasha, why am I in a tree?"  
  
"Shh, you'll wake the others," Inuyasha pressed his finger to her lips to silence her before he slid both hands down to her shoulders. "Do you really want them to see us up here?" he taunted quietly.  
  
Kagome bit the inside of her cheek to keep from yelling at him, her eyes down on the others much farther below them than she'd expected. She let out a squeak and instinctively pressed closer to him, her arms going around his neck even as she realized he'd set her legs on either side of his hips again.  
  
"You're safe with me, Kagome," he leaned forward, rubbing his cheek along hers and letting his hands slide down her back. Careful to keep his claws away from her skin, his hands moved to her hips and flexed as he pulled her closer. "You know I wouldn't let you fall," Inuyasha smiled softly when she let her grip soften, turning her face towards his neck.  
  
"I would have preferred knowing I was this high off the ground," she muttered, unaware of the effect her lips moving against his throat was having on him.  
  
Inuyasha's eyes slid closed, "Where did you think I would be?"  
  
"On the ground? In the sleeping bag?" Kagome grumbled, her hand lifting to absently toy with a gleaming strand of his hair. "Like we usually do?"  
  
He was quiet for a moment, his eyes opening as he turned to look down at her, "Like we usually do?"  
  
Kagome turned her face to press it against his shoulder, wishing she'd kept he mouth shut instead of letting that slide out so casually. When had it become so natural for her to have Inuyasha sleeping next to her that she would say something like that in front of him? Hell, he was bad enough about her saying they were engaged and now she admitted she thought of them together in the sleeping bag was their "usual" way.  
  
Inuyasha pinched her hip, grinning when she jumped in surprise, "C'mon, koibito, I want to hear you say that again."  
  
Her brows lowered in annoyance and she tried to push away from him, but Inuyasha simply moved his arms up to hold her pinned to his chest. Growling in an almost perfect imitation of his own, she lifted herself enough to bite his neck in retaliation before muttering, "You can be a real jerk, Inuyasha, you know that?"  
  
When she got no response, Kagome began to get a little nervous, moreso when she felt the tattoo give a particularly strong lurch and heat curl outward from it in a steady stream. Slowly, half worried he wouldn't let her, she leaned back to look up at his face, "Inuyasha?"  
  
Inuyasha's arms slid down limply, his chest rising and falling in a precise, even motion while his head was lowered to allow his bangs to hide his eyes. His nostrils flared when Kagome leaned closer, her hand lifting tenatively to his cheek and trying to urge his face up. His heart was thudding heavily in his chest, eyes closed and fangs bared as he fought with the instinct that had gripped him the moment he felt Kagome's teeth against his skin.  
  
He knew the moment she felt the growl rising in his chest, her hand stilling against his face and her breath hitching in her throat. Inuyasha lifted his head, his eyes glowing as they locked onto hers and held her gaze on his as surely as if he held her face in his hands.  
  
"I...I'm sorry, Inuyasha, I didn't think-!" Kagome somehow managed to stammer out with her throat gone dry from the sheer heat in his gaze, but his face gave away nothing. Her words choked off when she felt him shift, on hand lifting to clench over the throbbing tattoo while the other moved to fist in the hair at her nape.  
  
She wasn't exactly sure what she had expected. However, Inuyasha's mouth fastening over hers as his hands ground her up against him hadn't been one of the possibilities going through her head.  
  
The growl vibrated through her from head to toe as the hand at her nape twisted her head so he could position her for an even deeper kiss, nipping lightly at her lips before sweeping his tongue deep into her mouth. Kagome went stiff for all of two seconds before that encouraging rumble had her actively moving against him, her own hands sinking into his hair to hold him to her.  
  
Inuyasha felt the muscles in her thighs tighten as she shifted against him, squeezing against his hips as she rocked forward to kiss him back with the same heated desperation spiralling through him. Before it had always seemed unattainable, holding Kagome like this and losing himself in the heat of desire he'd felt for her for what seemed like forever. He'd looked, and he'd lusted, but there had always been something holding him back. Some fear that she would refuse him and run back to her time, never to return.  
  
One spell.  
  
One fucking spell and here he was, Kagome crushed against him so tightly he wondered if they would be permanently fused together. They were both burning hot enough for that, and he was maintaining his hold on rationality by the barest of threads. If she made that noise in the back of her throat one more time, though, he wasn't going to be held responsible for his actions.  
  
Kagome wasn't even aware when his hand moved to the small of her back and then farther to cup the curve of her backside, her thoughts having scattered long ago. All she was aware of at that moment was the strength in Inuyasha's arms, the heat radiating off his body, and the intense longing humming through her with every stroke of his tongue across hers. Her hands moved down over his chest, flexing against the muscles of his chest when she heard the growl drop an octave lower. He released his hold on her hair, dropping his hand down to her waist and without a hint of the hesitation he'd shown previously, slid his palm up her side until he reached the underside of her breast.  
  
Kagome sucked in a sharp breath when Inuyasha's hand eased under her bra to press his hand against bare flesh, kneading gently as he let out a low moan and urged her closer again. His mouth slid away from hers to trace a path down her throat to the juncture of her neck and shoulder, his teeth nipping almost enough to break the skin. She let out a soft cry and his ears twitched to catch the sound as he smiled and used his hands to lean her away just enough for his mouth to move down to her breast.  
  
Kagome's mouth fell open even as her arms curled around his head to hold him close, fingers lightly brushing his ears as stars dancing in the blackness behind her eyes and she felt herself melt into him. She was absolutely certain she would have slid right off his lap and out of the tree had he not wrapped an arm around her hips to hold her still.  
  
Inuyasha was growling again, his heart racing and his breath in pants from all the sensations arrowing through him at her response to his touch. He was elated, feeling sweat glide down between his shoulderblades at the heat moving through him with the nearly blinding wave of desire. She was finally accepting this, and in reaction to that realization, he was moving to curl his legs beneath them so he could take her into the privacy of the woods around them.  
  
"Kagome?" the hesitant voice from far below somehow cut through the blind haze of emotions, snapping them apart so quickly Inuyasha cracked the back of his head sharply against the tree and Kagome nearly tumbled from the branch.  
  
They sat together, Kagome's eyes huge on his as she sucked air into her burning lungs, her face flaming at the thought of not just what they had been doing, but getting caught like this, "...Shippo-chan...."  
  
Inuyasha pressed his forehead to her with a low groan of frustration and the untimely interruption. He could feel her heart pounding against his, her shirt and bra askew, and her panting breath against his lips as he snarled out, "That does it. That fucking brat is dead." 


	35. Always have a way out....

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Always have a way out....  
  
  
  
Shippo's hackles rose in instinctive response to the menace he felt vibrate through the air when Inuyasha's glowing eyes turned down to him. Everything about the hanyou right then told the kit he'd just made one of the worst mistakes of his life in interrupting whatever they'd been doing way up there. He could hear Kagome panting, but the funny thing was so was Inuyasha, and those weird sounds they'd been making before when he woke up kind of reminded him of his parents....  
  
"Ah...Kagome, are you-? Are you okay?" he called up to them, shivering when he heard the hanyou start growling, low and threatening.  
  
Kagome blinked at Inuyasha in surprise when he settled his hands on her waist and very carefully slid her off his lap. He rose to his knees, turning to sit her securely against the trunk, "Inuyasha?"  
  
Inuyasha slid his finger lightly over her lips, his eyes darkening as he looked down at her, "Don't move. I'll be right back after I rip out Shippo's tail and hang him from a tree somewhere."  
  
Shippo's eyes went huge when he heard the quiet whisper and he turned, shrieking in terror as he fled into the darkness of the woods. Inuyasha was after him in a flash, swearing and demanding the kit stop running away even as he was snarling out all sorts of violent retributions for his interruption.  
  
Kagome stared after them, her chest still rising and falling quickly as she tried to shake off the tingling daze muddling her attempts to think. She gripped the wide branch more securely with her thighs as she righted her clothing mechanically, her eyes distant and unfocused as her mind replayed what had just happened over and over. It was the cool night breeze that restored a measure of lucidity, sending a shiver through her after the incredible heat she'd experienced in Inuyasha's intense embrace. She leaned back to deliberately breathe in long, slow gulps to clear her head and slow her racing heartbeat.  
  
Her hand lifted as though with a will of its own, shaking as she pressed it to her aching breast where she swore she could still feel Inuyasha's mouth moving heatedly over the sensative peak. The ache still throbbed through her, pulsing in time to the memory of each strong pull...  
  
She shook her head quickly to dispel the images when she felt her heart start racing all over again, the sensations driving her crazy, unlike anything she'd ever experienced. Kagome fidgeted restlessly in the tree, trying to still the overwhelming longing bringing a dark flush to her cheeks.  
  
Determined to get herself back under control, she her lip hard and purposefully leaned to one side to judge the distance between her position and the ground. Maybe she could get to her sleeping bag and try to get some sleep, as impossible as that sounded at the moment. It was the only thing she could think to try.  
  
She scowled down below her, her frustration easily adding to her annoyance, 'Of course Inuyasha would leave me too high up to get down by myself.'  
  
Kagome sat back, folding her arms over her breasts and pouting. Unless she wanted to risk breaking something, she'd have to wait for him to either get tired of chasing the kitsune, or catch him and come back for her.  
  
He just had to leave her where she couldn't do anything but think of what they'd been doing before the baby youkai interrupted them, what she was certain they would have done. The feelings Inuyasha had evoked in her had been remarkable, but that wasn't why she would have given in to the desires rushing back and forth between them. It was the feeling that it had been so... so right.  
  
Was that was scared her? What made her so nervous the longer she thought it through?  
  
Everything she did with Inuyasha made her feel safe, loved... like she was really home for the first time in her life. But was it all her? If she was balancing herself with Inuyasha and reacting to his emotions, wasn't it possible that this was all his reaction? Did she only think it was right because he did?  
  
Kagome's hand lowered to cover the tattoo at her hip as her brow furrowed in concentration. The voice had said something about that, hadn't it? Unbidden, the response swirled through her mind and made her eyes slide closed.  
  
'I'd love to tell you yes, that it's all the hanyou, but actually, all his blood is doing is lowering your inhibitions. All your reactions are your own, but the youkai blood is making you act on your emotions rather than hold them in. Making them more intense...'  
  
No. It wasn't just Inuyasha's reaction.  
  
"Lowering my inhibitions and making my emotions more intense," she grumbled softly to herself, sighing deeply at the persistant ache that refused to fade away completely. "No shit."  
  
Her internal struggle was disrupted when she heard heavy gasping down below her, her brows lifting curiously when she saw the little russet ball of fluff streak back into the clearing and race up the tree she was in. Shippo ran straight up her shirt, grabbing the hem and tucking himself up in a shaking ball against her stomach.  
  
"Shippo-chan?" Kagome frowned in concern, trying without success to pull the fabric out of his hands and urge him down to her lap.  
  
"Hide me!" he chirped quickly, bunching the shirt even tighter in his hands.  
  
"Hide you?" she couldn't prevent the tiny smile that tugged at her lips at the panic in his voice. She grabbed the neckline of the shirt and pulled it out far enough to look down at the terrified youkai, "Why should I?"  
  
"Inuyasha's going to kill me!" Shippo peeked up at her. "I barely got away!  
  
"How did you?" Kagome lifted one hand to rub his back soothingly through the shirt.  
  
"Divide and... and run away," he held up a little leaf with a shaking hand. "With the way he was flattening my little copies I had to find somewhere safe!"  
  
"I see...." she turned her head when she felt the tattoo throb, Inuyasha's distinctive presence filling her awareness as he burst into the grove.  
  
He lifted his head, testing the wind until his head snapped to the tree and then up to where Kagome sat. His eyes narrowed sharply when he saw the rounded lump at her stomach, "You fucking coward. Quit hiding behind Kagome and get the hell down here!"  
  
Inuyasha was rather abruptly flattened when the Hiraikotsu smashed against him from behind. Sango glared murderously at the hanyou when he pushed himself back to his feet, growling and rubbing his head as he glared right back.  
  
"Some of us ARE trying to sleep, Inuyasha," Sango stalked over to him and took back the massive boomerang.  
  
Miroku's staff jangled as he tapped it meaningfully back against the trunk he had been sleeping against, "It is very difficult with your yelling. We would be... upset if we had to get up again."  
  
Shippo poked his head out from beneath Kagome's shirt to stick his tongue out at Inuyasha, "Yeah! Just go to bed already!"  
  
Kagome heaved a deep sigh as she watched Sango and Miroku resettle themselves before she looked down at Inuyasha. He was looking up at her, his jaw clenched in obvious frustration and anger as tension hummed through his limbs. She didn't know how, but she knew exactly how to at least calm him for the moment.  
  
Inuyasha's shoulders lost some of their tension when Kagome held out a hand to him and smiled gently. He continued to stare up at her for a moment, his eyes still frustrated, but filling with a slow warmth the longer he watched her. He let out a huff and leapt back up to the branch, growling at Shippo when he squeaked and shot back up Kagome's shirt.  
  
"Leave him alone, Inuyasha," Kagome reached up, brushing her fingers over his cheek and startling him enough that the sound ceased.  
  
Inuyasha reached out, reversing their positions so the he was again leaning back against the tree and turning her in his lap so he could pull her back to his chest. He wrapped one arm around her chest and the other below Shippo's hiding place before he bent down and caught her ear in his teeth.  
  
Kagome sucked in a breath, but to his delight, she turned her head into the contact. He smiled against her temple and whispered, "Next time we won't get interrupted, koibito."  
  
**  
  
Inuyasha watched Shippo dig through Kagome's bag in search of more candy, his eyes narrowing as he waited for just the right moment. Kagome was bending over the bag, working around the kit to pull out her bathing supplies and a change of clothes.  
  
Perfect.  
  
"Oi, Sango."  
  
Sango jumped in surprise, turning to Inuyasha with a frown, "Hai?"  
  
"Go with Kagome," he ordered quietly, sitting back on his haunches and folding his arms in his sleeves.  
  
Kagome's brows rose and she spun around, blinking in amazement, "Y- you mean you're not going to stare at me this time?"  
  
Inuyasha shook his head, his expression carefully bland, "You'll be close enough to stay-"  
  
"Dammit!" Kagome snarled as she hit the ground, her hands fisting in anger against her hips. "Inuyasha!!" her expression darkened.  
  
He bit his lip in an effort to hide his amused smile even as he waved a hand in her direction, "Ahh, sorry, I didn't mean to say it!"  
  
Sango shook her head as Kagome muttered under her breath, and Inuyasha's eyes filled with silent laughter, "You mean that the spring is close enough for Kagome-chan not to be out of your spirit range, right?"  
  
"Aa," Inuyasha turned his attention to her, taking advantage of Kagome's inability to see him and letting his lips spread in a huge grin.  
  
The exterminator nodded, moving to the immobile girl's side and bending down to collect her bath bag, "C'mon, Kagome-chan, no telling how long Inuyasha's planning on being generous."  
  
Sango waited patiently until Kagome rose to her feet, rubbing her tailbone and scowling at the hanyou as she stalked past him. Inuyasha's hand snaked out and caught her wrist, giving her a tug that brought her off balance with a cry of irritation. No sooner had he caught her in his lap that he had brought her mouth to his, ignoring the slight sound of protest and their shocked audience to give her a long, lingering kiss.  
  
When he released her and set her back on her feet, he smirked and gave her a nudge towards the gaping Sango, "Go on, Kagome. Sango's right, there's no telling how long I'll be generous."  
  
Blushing darkly, she gave him a stiff nod and rushed off in the direction of the hot spring. Sango was right behind her, her eyes filled with curious questions, "Wait, Kagome-chan!"  
  
Miroku was blinking in wide-eyed amazement at Inuyasha when the hanyou rolled to his feet, his golden eyes focused on the little tail barely visible as it wiggled at the top of Kagome's pack, "Inuyasha, have you actually-?"  
  
"None of your business, bouzu," he gave him a warning glare before silently moving across the camp to grab the kitsune's tail and lift him to eye level. "And now you," he smiled with dark promise when Shippo's gasped in alarm.  
  
"O-oi! I didn't do anything!" Shippo squirmed around, trying to sink either claws or teeth into the strong hand holding him aloft. "You can't kill me! Kagome said so!"  
  
"She'll get over it," Inuyasha shot Miroku a scowl that told the monk quite clearly to make himself scarce.  
  
Miroku sent one back that just as easily said he wasn't going anywhere. He knew Inuyasha wouldn't leave for fear of inadvertantly moving Kagome out of his range of spirit and this promised to be a highly entertaining moment.  
  
Inuyasha swore angrily, but turned back to the kit, "What the hell possessed you to interrupt when Kagome and I were...trying to have a... a serious conversation."  
  
Shippo blinked owlishly, his mouth forming an "o" of surprise as he looked from Inuyasha's tense face to the monk trying to smother his sudden laughter behind his hand, "I... I thought you were sleeping!"  
  
Miroku had quite easily made the connection between the faint color on the hanyou's cheeks and his halting explanation with his anger at the kit, "In a tree?"  
  
Inuyasha growled, flexing his claws and giving the monk a look filled with warning, "Shut the fuck up or you're next."  
  
Miroku raised his hands to show his agreement to that suggestion, but his shoulders still shook severely with his laughter and his eyes were bright, "I won't say a thing."  
  
The hanyou turned back to Shippo, shaking him as he snapped out, "Can you not sleep by yourself for one damn night, you annoying little brat!? I ought to-"  
  
"Wait! Wait!" Shippo waved his hands frantically.  
  
"Why should I?" Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "I'd love nothing more than to rip you up over this one."  
  
"I...ah...well..." he chewed on his lip, debating with himself about the best way to keep himself alive.  
  
"That's what I thought," the hanyou lifted his other hand and smirked down at the kitsune.  
  
"I know a secret!" Shippo shrieked out, curling up as best he could with his hands fisted over his face and his eyes clamped shut.  
  
Inuyasha stopped, blinking several times as he stared down at the kit in surprise and then speculation, "What?"  
  
"I know a secret," the kitsune repeated, peeking up at Inuyasha with one eye and hoping he wasn't about to trade a pissed off hanyou for a pissed off miko.  
  
"Why the hell should that stop me?" one brow arched high in question.  
  
"It's about Kagome," he blushed, tapping his knuckles together nervously and refusing to meet his gaze. "You wanted to know why she was giving me so much candy, ne?" Shippo's brows rose hopefully.  
  
Inuyasha's grip tightened and he brought Shippo up to growl right in his face, "This had better be a damn good secret."  
  
**  
  
"It was just a kiss, Sango," Kagome blushed under the older woman's knowing stare.  
  
"And that?" Sango pointed, one brow arched high.  
  
The "that" in question happened to be the faint bruise Kagome had known she had until she took off her clothes and noticed Sango staring at her chest, her mouth open in shock. Kagome was going to have to talk with Inuyasha about leaving his "marks."  
  
She knew she was blushing as she ducked to rinse her hair, but Sango was still giving her that look, "Ah... well..."  
  
"Are you and Inuyasha-?" Sango's eyes were wide as the thought struck her.  
  
"No!" Kagome's cheeks flamed and she shook her head, refusing to look her way. "We were just... I... Ah, hell!"  
  
The exterminator's lips twitched as she rose to her feet and stepped out of the spring, "Does this have anything to do with Inuyasha trying to kill Shippo last night?"  
  
"Shippo-chan...kinda interrupted," Kagome sank down lower in the water and answered quietly.  
  
Sango shook her head, oddly feeling sorry for the hanyou, "No wonder he's been scowling all day."  
  
She coughed lightly, Inuyasha had been scowling, just not at her. The looks he'd been giving her had set her blood tingling all over, and from the way he would smirk at her, he knew it too. "He hasn't been in the best mood," she agreed, glad she had her back turned.  
  
Sango finished tying on her kimono, looking up when she heard a faint rustle in front of her. Her brows lifted when she saw Inuyasha standing on the small path back to camp, him arms folded and giving her a gesture with his head for her to leave.  
  
She glanced back at Kagome's back with a small smile and then nodded and walked up to Inuyasha, grabbing his hair and giving it a sharp yank to bring his ear down closer to her mouth and whisper, "Be careful. It hurts the first time for a human."  
  
Inuyasha reared back, his eyes wide in surprise and cheeks slightly pink.  
  
Sango gave him a serious look, "She's the best thing for you, Inuyasha."  
  
Inuyasha turned to look at the girl in the spring as she slid under the surface with a sigh, his eyes softening as he gave Sango a nod, "Arigato."  
  
"Just remember that we'll kill you if you hurt her," she reminded calmly and left him alone. 


	36. Role reversal....

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Role reversal....  
  
  
  
Kagome's eyes opened slowly, disoriented and sore in places she had never known existed. Her brow furrowed as she stretched her arms up over her head, her mouth opening in a jaw cracking yawn when a muscled arm tightened around her waist and pulled her tightly up against a solid chest.  
  
Memories came flooding back in a rush, bringing an immediate blush to her cheeks as Inuyasha sighed in his sleep and nuzzled his face against her neck. Unable to help herself, she reached up to stroke the ear closest to her hand, smiling when she felt his chest vibrate with a low growl against her back.  
  
A shiver went through her when a light breeze swept through the clearing, making her curl tighter against Inuyasha's warmth instinctively. Her eyes swept around for something to cover herself with, but the only clothing anywhere near was Inuyasha's kimono in a pile off to the side. That brought renewed color to her face as she recalled Inuyasha pulling her from the hot spring and leaving her clothes behind as he carried her some place private.  
  
Taking in a deep breath, Kagome reached down and ever so slowly edged Inuyasha's arm away from her and slid out of his embrace. She held her breath warily as she laid his arm back down, watching his face for any sign of waking. The hanyou grunted in his sleep, his brows furrowing as he reached out for his lost warmth, but after a moment he simply sighed and rolled onto his back, the arm flung up over his eyes.  
  
Kagome reached behind her for his haori, sliding her arms through the over-sized garment and tying it tightly at her waist as she smiled tenderly at the peacefully sleeping Inuyasha. 'He really is beautiful,' her hand lifted to his cheek and she couldn't prevent the soft giggle that escaped her when he turned his face into her touch. As she lowered her hand, however, her palm grazed his lips and an unexpected jolt of desire snaked through the pit of her stomach, urging her to lean down and savor the feel of those lips against hers again.  
  
'Mou, he's going to turn me into some weird sex fiend,' Kagome sat back with a grimace of self-disgust, fisting her hands against her thighs just resist her new-found need to touch him. The action didn't prevent her eyes from leisurely admiring the naked form laid out before her though.  
  
The moment she realized her gaze was lingering just a bit too long in one particular area and increasing her heartbeat in response, she made a frustrated noise in her throat and pushed herself unsteadily to her feet.  
  
The insides of her thighs felt like she'd been on her bike for days and her skin itched from the film of dried sweat she'd earned with Inuyasha's insatiable attentions. Who would have thought he'd prove to be so proficient? Or to have that kind of stamina? Maybe he had-  
  
'No,' Kagome shook of the thought as quickly as it crossed her mind, tamping down the wave of shy insecurity, 'he would have told me, wouldn't he?'  
  
Now thoroughly annoyed with herself, she turned and absently lifted her head, looking left and right curiously. If she could just find the spring again, she could wash off and get her clothes back. Hell, she could even make her way back to camp from there. Inuyasha couldn't have taken them that far, he hadn't run long enough...  
  
Her thought were too chaotic to notice she was trying to discern the water's location by sniffing the air.  
  
Even worse, that she was succeeding.  
  
Kagome had only taken one step back towards camp when she paused, chewing on her lip nervously and glancing back at Inuyasha. She just couldn't leave him naked in the middle of the woods like this. Her eyes dropped to the hakama still in an untidy heap on the ground and she grinned, scooping up the article and draping it gently across his lap.  
  
'Good enough,' she nodded and hurried off for the spring before she could change her mind.  
  
Unfortunately, upon arrival, Kagome discovered that at some point during the night, someone had been to the hot springs as evidenced by her missing bathing supplies and clothing. She sighed regretfully, glancing from the water to the path as she debated on whether to retrieve the articles or try to bathe as best as she could without them. Finally, she cursed beneath her breath and folded the lower half of the haori up around her waist to step into the steaming water, determined to at least rinse her lower half before she was confronted by her friends.  
  
After the night's absence and the missing clothes they had to have at the very least guessed what had occurred. Her eyes closed as she awkwardly held the cloth out of the water with one hand, rubbing her other over the aching muscles in her legs and starting the mental replay all over again.  
  
Those memories flooding through her in the spring, however, conjured up the reminder of how..."it" had all started. Inuyasha raking his claws across her stomach and watching her, waiting for her reaction, his eyes suspicious and hopeful all at the same time. The way those eyes had filled first with disbelief and then with arrogant satisfaction...  
  
Kagome went still, her eyes opening slowly and then narrowing, "Shippo."  
  
**  
  
Shippo rolled over on his stomach and groaned miserably, swearing off candy for the rest of his natural life if only the sick feeling would go away. He had been too afraid to fall asleep last night, thinking that any second now, either Inuyasha was come barreling through the trees to beat the shit out of him, or Kagome would. He didn't know which thought scared him more, and he'd been having visions all night and all morning about just such a thing happening.  
  
He blinked rapidly, staring up at the current hallucination.  
  
He hadn't even gotten her right this time, he thought in sleepy annoyance. This imaginary Kagome was wrapped in Inuyasha's haori, the bottom edge and ends of the long sleeves slightly damp and her legs completely bare. Her hair was wild, cheeks flushed, and her normally dark eyes were a frighteningly intense ice-blue as they speared into him from the path to the hot spring. This Kagome was completely different from all his other imagined Kagomes.  
  
And that really should have tipped him off.  
  
As it was, he barely shot out of the way when she lunged across the campsite to make a grab for him, only natural reflexes preventing his capture. Wide awake now and gaping as Kagome spun around to follow him, he shrieked and immediately began running around the banked fire pit in circles. Wailing at the top of his lungs for Inuyasha, he prayed the hanyou would be close enough to help him out of this one and better yet, that he actually "would" help him out of it.  
  
"You TOLD him!!" Kagome was hissing at him as she slid to a stop and barely missed the kit on the return trip. "I can't believe you fucking told him! After all that shit you talked me into doing so you wouldn't!"  
  
Shippo leapt up into a high branch and waved his hands madly as he looked down at her, "I had to! He was gonna kill me!"  
  
"I'M going to kill you!" she slammed the side of her fist against the trunk as hard as she could, distantly aware that she should have at least broken her hand and the tree shouldn't have shuddered enough to knock the kitsune from his perch. "Get back here, Shippo-chan, I'm not finished with you!"  
  
Shippo shot between her legs, scrambling over the rousing monk and exterminator in his haste to flee, sucking in a breath to scream for Inuyasha again when Kagome dove at him and succeeded in catching hold of his tail to pin him to the ground.  
  
With all Shippo's wailing, Miroku had expected to see a murderous hanyou when he opened his eyes. Fully prepared to smack his staff across the heads of the disruptive youkai and lecture him about taking his frustrations with Kagome out on the kitsune. As it was, it took a long, frozen moment for the monk to process the scene, and the shock that crossed his face bordered on comical when he realized he was actually looking at Kagome attacking the kit while wearing nothing but Inuyasha's top. A quick glance assured him that Sango was in a similar state, verifying the sight was real and not some twisted delusion.  
  
"You wait and see if you ever get candy again, you little brat!" Kagome scowled down at him, trying to keep a hold of the wiggling Shippo. But with her hands still wet and the sheer force of desperation in his motions, he managed to get free, "Dammit!"  
  
Shippo's eyes were huge when he caught a familiar scent at the other end of the clearing and he reversed his flight instantly to launch his little body behind the more daunting presence of the adult, albeit half clothed and definitely surprised, Inuyasha, "WAAAH! Inuyasha, you have to save me!!"  
  
Kagome paused momentarily when she looked up and met Inuyasha's highly amused eyes, but it was the banked heat and the sudden pulse at her hip that really tied her stomach in knots. Inuyasha was looking at her as though he was barely a step away from throwing her over shoulder and carting her off for a repeat of last night, and there was a new level of possessiveness not just in his face, but in his body language.  
  
Well assured of his right to do so, Inuyasha's gaze slid from her head, pausing briefly on her eyes before they moved down to her feet and back up again. Her heart was beating too loud in her ears when he looked back at her face and gave her a warm, arrogant smile.  
  
Kagome set her jaw, if she didn't try to ignore him now, by the time she finally got around to punishing Shippo she could be an old woman! Purposefully moving her eyes from his to the child clinging to the hanyou's shoulder as though his life depended on it, she growled and renewed her attempts to grab at the kit.  
  
Inuyasha sighed and caught her around the waist the moment she was in range, dragging her up against his chest, "You left me alone to do this?"  
  
"Let go, Inuyasha, he was blackmailing me with… with that and even after I gave him all that candy, he still-!" Kagome's rant was abruptly and effectively silenced when Inuyasha dipped his head and caught her mouth in a lazy, confident kiss.  
  
Shippo calmed slightly when he saw Kagome's taut limbs relax, hopping out of the way when her arms slid around the hanyou's neck. His tail still twitched in agitation as he looked from their bent heads over to the slow smiles creeping onto the faces of the other two humans.  
  
Inuyasha lifted his head with obvious reluctance and tucked her more securely under his shoulder, "Leave Shippo alone, Kagome, he's just a little kid."  
  
"Oi!" Shippo puffed up in indignation, but hid under the hanyou's hair with a squeak when Kagome glared at him again.  
  
"But he-!" she started, pouting when Inuyasha set a clawed finger against her lips. "Fine," she spat, folding her arms over her chest and averting her face in an attempt to hide the shy embarrassment in her expression.  
  
Inuyasha reached back to thump Shippo on the head, "Off."  
  
Shippo balked, but a slight growl from the hanyou had him quickly obeying, his eyes glued to Kagome as he scampered across camp to hide behind Miroku and peek out at the pair, "You promised you would leave me alone if it worked!"  
  
Inuyasha's arm tightened around Kagome to hold her still when she swore darkly and made a move to take off after the kitsune again. He turned his head and murmured softly enough for her ears alone, "You look beautiful this morning, Kagome."  
  
Sango speculated on what the hanyou could have possibly said to take the angry glow out of Kagome's eyes so quickly and replace it with just that exact blend of delight and insecurity. Clearing her throat and fighting to keep a light blush off her own cheeks, she inquired, "Did you... ah, sleep well?"  
  
Kagome squeaked in an almost perfect copy of Shippo, dropping her gaze immediately to the ground while Inuyasha wrapped his other arm around her and grinned so widely it was a miracle he didn't tear something. That response verified the change in their relationship just as clearly as if Inuyasha had spelled it out in detail.  
  
"We didn't get much-" Inuyasha began smugly only to have Kagome elbow him sharply in the stomach and cut him off.  
  
"We slept fine!" she gritted out, her voice much higher and softer than usual.  
  
Inuyasha chuckled, his eyes dancing as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, startling his other human companions with such a warm, open display, "Aa, we slept fine, koibito."  
  
Miroku's brows rose in surprise at the endearment and his lips twitched in amusement, "Kagome-sama, you seem tense... Are you feeling all right? Perhaps you're ill-?"  
  
"Shut up, Miroku-sama," Kagome growled at him, her eyes still focused on her feet as she felt Inuyasha's chest shake with quiet laughter.  
  
"She'll be fine after a bath," Inuyasha assured them, his eyes glinting with inner fire and promise when she turned her startled gaze up to them. "But I'm not sure we should do much traveling today after that mess with Kouga. We'll wait for Kagome to recover first."  
  
Sango covered her mouth with her hand as her eyes jumped between the two. That was the first and only time to date that she had ever heard the hanyou speak about the wolf youkai so casually, but with the way his arm was stroking up and down on Kagome's arm, she guessed he finally realized he had no competition for her affection.  
  
"We'll take care of breakfast then," the exterminator quickly dug out her bath bag and handed it to the waiting hanyou before she waved Kagome away with as flick of her wrist and a bright smile. "I'm sure Inuyasha can smell when it's ready."  
  
Miroku nodded, just barely managing to hold his stoic expression, "Don't worry, Kagome-sama, I'm sure with Inuyasha's help you'll…ah, recover quickly."  
  
Inuyasha was grinning again as he bent and lifted Kagome up against his chest before bounding off up the path to make the spring in record time and prevent the girl from doing the monk serious injury.  
  
His feet had barely touched the ground when he had her turned, his mouth devouring hers as his hands went carelessly to the ties of the haori, "I was worried… You should have… woken me before… you left."  
  
Kagome ducked away from his mouth, a smile playing at the corner of her lips as she gave him a suspicious look, "If I had, would you have let me go?"  
  
Inuyasha slid his clothing off her shoulders, a growling purr in his chest as his eyes swept over her form in blatant appreciation, "Not a fucking chance."  
  
"See? I knew better," she blushed fiercely when she felt his hands starting to roam. "I thought you said I needed a bath."  
  
He wrapped his arms around her and fitted her against him, stroking his hand through her hair, "I lied. You smell like me… I like it."  
  
Kagome shivered, her eyes sliding closed as she wrapped her own arms around his waist and rested her ear over his heart. 'I really should be more embarrassed about this,' she frowned in slight confusion, rubbing her cheek over the warm muscles of his chest.  
  
Inuyasha set his hands on her waist and effortlessly lifted her into the spring, rubbing her cheek when she looked at him in surprise, "You're sore."  
  
"How did you-?!" her face flamed at his casual explanation.  
  
He leaned forward and kissed her forehead even as he stepped out of his clothing and joined her in the soothing water, "You're in my head, remember?" He tapped two fingers against her heart, "I can sense what you're feeling, probably because of that damn spell, and right now, you're tender."  
  
"It's not that bad," Kagome mumbled quietly, sinking down into the water with a sigh. "I…I thought it would be… I mean it was my… I hadn't…"  
  
Inuyasha laughed softly, reaching out to drag her into his lap and hold her close, "Because that was your first time?"  
  
Kagome was frowning as his arms slipped beneath hers and folded across her torso beneath her breasts, "How-?"  
  
His ears twitched at the soft question that had been squelched so quickly in her throat, "How what, koibito?"  
  
Kagome hid her face against his shoulder, "How did you… know what to do… and… and do it so well?"  
  
Inuyasha threw back his head and starting to laugh so loudly, Kagome jumped in alarm and immediately tried to quiet him as her eyes strayed to the path back to camp. Inuyasha shook his head and lifted her chin to kiss her again, sliding one hand down her hip to cover the pulsing tattoo as his tongue swept inside for a quick taste. His chest was still shaking as he broke the contact, tucking her head under his chin, "I'm wild, Kagome, not stupid. Any 'animal' knows what to do, so what makes you think a youkai wouldn't have the instincts too?"  
  
"If you laugh at me one more time, I swear I'm going to hurt you, Inuyasha," she muttered against his throat, lifting her hands to cover her eyes.  
  
"I would never do such a thing," he soothed, but she could feel the smile against her hair.  
  
Annoyed, she smacked him in the chest and pushed him away from her, craning her head down over the rocks to search for where Inuyasha had dropped her bag. She was leaning over to grab it when she felt hands close over her hips and she jumped nearly a foot in surprise. Inuyasha calmly kept his grip, tugging her backwards so that she stood with her back pressed to his chest, well aware of just what was on the hanyou's mind at the moment.  
  
"Again?" she blinked at him in surprise.  
  
"If you hadn't been tired last night or tried sneaking off this morning, Kagome, I wouldn't have stopped," Inuyasha kept his palm over the tattoo while he used his other hand to rake his claws up her stomach to feel the muscles contract and her heart start to race. "I told you last night that I wanted more of you, and I have to make up for lost time. At least a year of wanting you and keeping it to myself," he lowered his mouth to her temple as he hands pressed her more tightly against him.  
  
"Are you actually going to let me bathe or was this a trick?" Kagome turned her head up to him, the corners of her mouth kicking up in a warm, mischievous smile as she lifted her hand to stroke his ear. So maybe he was turning her into a sex fiend, she thought with an internal sigh. There was just something so right about it that made it impossible for her to push it away.  
  
It felt like she was finally somewhere she belonged.  
  
"Later," Inuyasha was growling as he dropped his mouth to her shoulder and nipped lightly, scattering her thoughts. Turning her face up even more, he met her glowing eyes with his own, well aware that she could see the warmth in his intense gaze mixed with the fierce protective, possessive feelings that were growing stronger ever day, "We have more important things to do than bathe." 


	37. What every girl wants to hear....

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: What every girl wants to hear....  
  
  
  
'Just what the hell did you think you were doing? I said stay close to the hanyou, dammit, I didn't say fuck him!'  
  
'I knew I shouldn't have taken a nap,' Kagome growled, her hackles rising in immediate defense as she searched the echoing darkness for the direction of the voice. 'It's none of your fucking business that I slept with Inuyasha! Do you have to invade my personal life along with everything else? Can't I have even that be private, hn? YOU cast a spell to connect us, dammit, and now we ARE! Why do you care that we had sex when all this time you've been pushing us together?'  
  
'Do you have any conception of what you've done to yourself? To your blood? Or are you seriously trying to permanently alter your soul?' one of the disembodied hands she had felt on her other trips to the dreamscape snaked out and caught her wrist to drag her forward. 'The hanyou isn't even aware of how deeply he's bound the two of you together! He isn't conscious of the changes he's causing in you because it's all being done by his blood inside you and his soul wrapped with yours. And after that mess with the undead miko, your soul isn't even fighting it, it's fucking helping him do it!'  
  
'What the hell are you talking about?' Kagome wrenched her hand free of the painful grip and demanded, folding her arms over her chest.  
  
'Every time the hanyou takes you, his soul wraps itself even more tightly around yours, and that's making it much more difficult for us to study the original distortion of your own magic with the spell. His soul is attacking any foreign presence that comes near you and it's ruining our efforts!'  
  
Kagome snorted in digust, 'So that's what's pissing you off. Inuyasha's keeping you from traipsing around in my head whenever you damn well please.'  
  
'Miko, this is serious. As a human, your blood should not be protecting the youkai blood he left inside you after the new moon, but it is. It should not have absorbed into you at all. Instead of purifying the blood as it should have, your miko blood moved it into your heart to keep it safe. When you mated, his blood filtered yours through his and then dispersed throughout your body on its own.'  
  
'So? If it was already there, what difference does it make if it was in my heart, or if my blood filtered through his, or even if it's all mixed in?' her expression tightened in a stubborn effort to hide her concern at what the voice was saying, but she was unable to keep it completely out of her voice.  
  
'You are weaving the youkai blood with your miko powers, and that damn hanyou's soul and blood are more than willing to help you do it! For every step you take, his instincts take two and the combined distortion you created when you mated with him made it impossible for anything to distinguish where your blood seperates. By doing it over and over, all you did was solidify that binding!'  
  
'What...what does that mean?' she asked quietly, her hand clenching into white-knuckled fists as she waited for the answer.  
  
'It means, little miko, that we will never be able to extract that youkai blood from you,' the hand covered her hip, palming the mark and making it heat. 'You have sealed yourself, with the help of your hanyou, more completely to him that we ever could. He fights to keep you bound to him, and you do not fight against it. You don't want to be released. If we tried it now, we could kill you in the attempt.'  
  
'What do you mean you can't extract it?!' Kagome's voice was barely audible, her face rapidly paling as her eyes went wide. 'What does that mean? I'm not a hanyou and that means I'm still human, aren't I?'  
  
'In a way.'  
  
A wave of nausea went through Kagome so strongly it buckled her knees and she dropped heavily to the ground. Reeling from the hesitant words, she swallowed convulsively and gasped, 'Wha-what the fuck does that mean?!'  
  
'Have you looked at your reflection lately, miko? Some of the changes you and the hanyou are making to you are subtle, but you are drawing off the youkai blood selectively... It's not something we've ever seen done before.'  
  
'Like?'  
  
'You eyes have grown pale.'  
  
'My...eyes?' she repeated in disbelief.  
  
'You've noticed that your muscles are reshaping themselves? Your clothing no longer fits the way it used to? Your levels of strength and endurance are now dependant on the hanyou's condition or the amount of energy you are capable of drawing in from your surroundings. You should try to cut yourself, it will be difficult to do and it will heal quickly so long as the hanyou is well.'  
  
Kagome's mouth slowly fell open, her hands lifting to cover her ears in denial of what she was hearing, but the voice still penetrated.  
  
'You haven't even noticed the sensativity of your senses, have you, Kagome?'  
  
Kagome bit down on her lip hard, tears springing to her eyes as she choked out, 'What am I?'  
  
The voice was quiet, but when it came again, it had lost the slightly mocking edge to become soft and almost apologetic, 'We don't know. You still smell human and feel human to anything with the skills to test you, but you are not one of them any longer. Don't think you're alone in this, however, the hanyou has changed slightly as well. He just does not sense it because it has not decreased any of his abilities.'  
  
Kagome blinked, lifting her head as she frowned, 'I don't understand. If I still feel human, how can you say I'm not?'  
  
'It's almost as if despite how deeply intertwined the blood has become, the youkai blood is content to lie dormant. However, if you are attacked or threatened, it pushes your human blood aside and takes dominance, but feeds off your miko powers to make itself stronger. Your skills have made all this very complicated.'  
  
'How does it push it aside?' she shook her head, nervously reached down to touch her throbbing hip.  
  
'Youkai blood is stronger than human blood. Your blood retreats without fighting and lets it run wild inside you. When you fight, you feel like a youkai and you pull your instincts from the hanyou.'  
  
'Why didn't you tell me this would happen before? Didn't you think I might not have done this if I knew?' Kagome demanded, slamming her fist into the ground beside her.  
  
'For one thing, we had no idea you were so close to mating with him. We also had no idea the consequences of that action would be this severe until it had been done. Nothing can change this.'  
  
'Have you made it your sole fucking purpose in your life to completely ruin mine?' her eyes narrowed sharply in anger. 'The only time you tell me anything is when it's too damn late to change it and all you do is rant that I should have known better?! What else aren't you telling me that could change my life for good?'  
  
'Calm down, Kagome, you are still no good to anyone when you become angry. In a way, you are worse than even Inuyasha because you have not learned control. We are close to finding the answers, but please do as I say from now on.'  
  
'What do I have to do?' her lip curled in disgust at the commanding tone.  
  
'You still must stay close to the hanyou, however, try to keep the mating down to a minimum, hn? Make him help you with learning how to control it. Do not fight until you have learned, you throw the path to your mind wide open when you fight.'  
  
'Is that all?' she drew her knees up to her chest, looking straight ahead even when she sensed the voice come closer.  
  
'Don't tell the hanyou about any of this yet. It's hard enough with him unaware of our efforts, if he started to actively fight our attempts we might never figure out how to close the vulnerability.'  
  
'I've changed my mind.'  
  
'In what way?'  
  
Her lips curved in a humorless smile, 'Before I said I'd give you a black-eye. Now I think I'll just kill you.'  
  
**  
  
Inuyasha stroked his hand over Kagome's hair as she slept, frowning at the agitation in her scent, 'A nightmare, maybe?'  
  
"Shippo-chan, aren't you going to eat?" Sango looked at the little kitsune draped over Inuyasha's thigh in concern.  
  
Miroku calmly offered, "He stayed up eating what was left of Kagome- sama's candy. He thought she would take it back when she found he had broken his end of the deal."  
  
Inuyasha chuckled softly, ruffling the kit's hair with his free hand before reaching for the ramen Sango offered, "Made yourself sick, didn't you, brat?"  
  
Shippo gave him a glare before rolling over onto his stomach and groaning, "I'm dying, leave me alone."  
  
Inuyasha was about to respond when Kagome shot up with a sharply indrawn breath, her hand pressed hard over her heart. Concerned, he reached out and caught her face, frowning when he saw how pale it had become, "Kagome? What's wrong?"  
  
Kagome blinked rapidly, her chest rising and falling in nearly a pant as her gaze darted around the grove in obvious disorientation. When she felt a light squeeze on her chin again, she turned and focused on Inuyasha's face, shaking her head briefly to dispel the last of her latest "visit" to the voice.  
  
"What is it?" Inuyasha's brows drew low, shifting his weight to put himself directly in front of her.  
  
"A... a dream..." she closed her eyes, lifting her hand to her forehead and forcing herself to take a deep breath. "It was... just a dream. I'm all right now."  
  
Shippo dragged himself from Inuyasha to Kagome's side, tenatively patting her leg to get her attention, "Do you hate me?"  
  
Kagome tilted her head to one side, reaching out to pat the kit's head, "No. I'm still annoyed with you, but I don't hate you."  
  
Shippo gave her the best smile he could manage with his stomach hurting so badly and crawled his way into her lap to whine miserably, "Kagome, I'm dying!"  
  
Her brows furrowed in confusion and she looked up at Inuyasha inquiringly. He snorted and reached out thunk the kitsune lightly on the head, "Idiot ate all the candy you gave him after he told me 'the secret.'"  
  
Kagome smacked him in the shoulder and glared at him, "You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Threatening Shippo-chan like that."  
  
Inuyasha shrugged, unconcerned and sat back to retrieve his lunch, "It worked out to my advantage."  
  
Miroku winced, sliding a little farther away from the hanyou in preparation for what that was going to bring down on his head. Sango pretended to be very engrossed in her own bowl, but her eyes moved from Inuyasha's unsuspecting smile, to the dangerously bland look now gracing her friend's face.  
  
Kagome set Shippo aside with a final pat on his head and rose to her feet, casting her eyes about for something that would adequately portray her annoyance at that little comment. One brow arched high in speculation when her gaze found the Hiraikotsu behind her with Sango's belongings and she turned a quick glance to the exterminator. At the slight nod of permission, she leaned down and caught the handle the way she'd seen the older girl do, surprised at how easy it was to lift even as she turned and brought it down over Inuyasha's head.  
  
Standing back amidst the all out laughter from her other companions, she set her fist on her hip and smiled as sweetly as she could manage into the hanyou's dazed face, "How's this working out?"  
  
"Bitch, what'd you do that for?" he sat up, grimacing as he rubbed his aching head.  
  
Kagome set the boomerang back where she'd found it and turned back towards the now familiar path to the hot spring, "Wait here, Inuyasha, I'm just going to wash my face and come back."  
  
"But-" he started to get to his feet, but paused when she gave him that same bland look. "Keh, five minutes," Inuyasha snorted and turned his back on her.  
  
"Ten," she folded her arms over her chest stubbornly. "I mean it, give me a second alone for once."  
  
He gave her a dry look over his shoulder, "Things are just a little bit different now, Kagome."  
  
Kagome spun on her heel quickly to hide the blush that brought to her face, clearing her throat and hurrying out of sight, "Five it is then."  
  
Inuyasha smirked and leaned back, giving the highly amused humans a smug nod, "See? Kagome does know she has to listen to her mate."  
  
Sango rolled her eyes and glanced in the direction of the path, shivering slightly when the wind changed direction and drew a cloud across the sun, "I'd love to hear you say that to her face, Inuyasha."  
  
Miroku snorted, shaking his head, "I believe even Inuyasha has more self-preservation instincts than that."  
  
Inuyasha glared at them, but his attention had been caught by the wind-shift and he turned his head to focus on the elusive scent. It was almost as if there was something waiting just out of range that had been caught unexpectedly, but was still trying to avoid detection.  
  
Inuyasha rose to his feet, his eyes trained out into the woods, "Wait here, I'll be back in just a second."  
  
"You can't go far," Sango reminded, glancing in the direction Kagome had gone. "Not unless you want-"  
  
"I know how close I have to stay to her," he assured the girl absently. "I won't put her out of range, but I have to check on something."  
  
Miroku frowned, coming to his feet as the hanyou vanished, "This cannot be good."  
  
**  
  
"Five fucking minutes," Kagome muttered to herself, splashing water on her face and raking her hands through her hair in an effort to dispel the grim sense the voice had given her. "Goddamn overbearing, arrogant, thick-headed-hrm?!"  
  
Kagome was cut off abruptly when a hand covered her mouth, bindings appearing seemingly from nowhere and pinning her arms at her sides. Panicked, she snapped her head back, catching her assailant off-guard enough that the hold loosened. She'd just drawn in a breath to scream when the hand returned, this time with the attacker's other arm around her throat to cut off her air.  
  
Kagome's eyes narrowed, her heart pounding as she felt what the voice had been talking about. A strange rush that left her light-headed, setting her body tingling as her blood heated in preparation to attack. Identifying the sensation only made it that much easier to get angry, and the presence behind her went still at the sudden menacing vibration that filled the air around them.  
  
"Dammit, miko, be calm or we'll both get killed! I only want to talk to you!" 


	38. All the wrong places....

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: All the wrong places....  
  
Kagome stopped struggling abruptly, shocked more than subdued at the quiet hiss in her ear. After a brief pause, the hand over her mouth inched away slowly, leaving her free to growl out angrily, "Why should I believe you?"  
  
There was a bitter laugh behind her, even as the unseen bonds loosened and her attacker backed away, "Because, like it or not, miko, we have something in common now."  
  
Kagome's brows drew together in suspicious confusion as she turned, her eyes glowing bright blue in her agitation, "K-Kagura?!"  
  
The wind youkai gave her a smile filled with self-disgust, "Ironic, isn't it?"  
  
Kagome took a step back, coming up against the damp rocks of the spring as she cursed herself for being caught defensless, "What the hell could you and I possibly have in common?"  
  
Kagura took a step towards her, her eyes grim and serious as she grabbed Kagome's wrist, "Naraku has been watching you, you know. He knows you've been bound to the damn hanyou and you don't know who. He-"  
  
Kagome brought her elbow up against the woman's face, slamming her to the ground even as she leapt back and slid into a crouch. Her hands flexed as she hissed out, "Don't fucking touch me, you bitch!"  
  
Kagura rose to her feet carefully, her eyes wide with surprise as she lifted her hand to touch the blood seeping from her nose. After a moment, her expression filled with grudging respect and more than a little awe, "So... it is true... You have changed..."  
  
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Kagome's eyes narrowed even as she shot a nervous glance towards camp, wondering why Inuyasha hadn't come for her yet.  
  
"You know exactly what I mean," she gave the younger girl a smirk, reaching into her kimono to pull out her fans. "Think about it, miko. Naraku knows more about binding spells that any other youkai could hope to learn in a dozen lifetimes. It's the only reason I am forced to stay with him," her lips thinned as she said the last, her hatred easily flowing into her voice.  
  
Kagome turned her full attention to the woman, blinking in surprise as she processed what she'd just admitted. Her brow furrowed in cautious curiosity, "Binding spells... You're bound like that? Bound to Naraku?"  
  
"Much like you're now bound to Inuyasha," Kagura set her jaw and nodded grimly. "Naraku formed us from himself, after all. He holds my heart to keep me and... and I do not wish to die. I'm a coward..."  
  
Kagome felt an unwanted curl of sympathy for the youkai, self-consciously reaching down to cover the tattoo when it gave a sharp twinge and started to pound, "Why me? Why are you telling me all this, Kagura?"  
  
Kagura looked up at her, her eyes full of pride, but at the same time a sort of pleading desperation, "You can help me, miko."  
  
Kagome's brows rose sharply, "Help... you? What makes you think I would do that? After everything you've done, what the hell do you think would convince me to trust you enough to help?"  
  
Kagura smiled, her eyes gleaming at the weakening she sensed in the young woman, "Because I can help you too." **  
  
"So you'll still come to me after all."  
  
Inuyasha spun around in alarm, his face full of surprise and disbelief, "Ki-Kikyou? What are you doing here?"  
  
Kikyou walked slowly from the shade of the trees, her bow held loosely in one hand and her eyes dark with accusation, "I wanted to hear it from you personally."  
  
"Hear what?" he frowned, his ears flattening as he took a cautious step back. His heart gave a strange lurch, turning his attention back in the direction of camp, 'Was that mine or Kagome's?'  
  
"You debased yourself with that imitation," her hand clenched, brows lowering in pained anger at his inattention. It hadn't been so long ago that when he was with, nothing would turn his thoughts, "You let that girl seduce you."  
  
Inuyasha's head snapped around, "What did you say?!"  
  
"How could you?" she whispered, notching an arrow as her expression twisted in rage.  
  
"Shit!" Inuyasha leapt to the side to dodge the unexpected attack. "Kikyou, stop!"  
  
"You should have helped me kill her before, Inuyasha," she shook her head and readied her next arrow. "You should have kept your promise and come to hell with me."  
  
"Things have changed," his eyes filled with regretful pain as he took another step away from her. "I...I can't keep that promise. I'm sorry, Kikyou..."  
  
"I will not let you go, Inuyasha," Kikyou took aim again.  
  
**  
  
"Why would I need your help?" Kagome frowned in confusion, her growing curiosity pushing away even more of her tension as she regarded Kagura.  
  
Kagura sat on the edge of the spring beside Kagome as though she had all the time in the world, "Naraku knows how to break binding spells, but he won't tell me for... obvious reasons. But he 'will' tell you."  
  
"Just how fucking stupid do you think I am?" Kagome snorted, folding one arm beneath her breasts as her other hand lifted to close around the vial of shards at her throat. "Naraku suddenly wants to help me figure out the spell connecting me to Inuyasha? Out of the kindness of his heart? Try another one."  
  
Kagura wrinkled her nose in annoyance, absently flicking her wrists to toy with her fans, "I'll be the first to agree that Naraku cannot be trusted, miko, but he despises things happening without his knowledge. He is... intrigued by your situation, and in my opinion, he has become more than a little obsessed with you."  
  
Kagome took an uneasy step back, her lip curling in disgust, "Obsessed with me? He... wanted Kikyou... didn't he?"  
  
The other woman's brows rose mockingly and she nodded, "In the beginning. But over time, with the older and stronger you've become, the more he's been drawn to you instead of her. You're the one he watches in his mirrors now, miko."  
  
"Am I supposed to be flattered?" a shudder went through her at the thought of Naraku watching her. 'Why am I even listening to her? Where is Inuyasha?' her gaze strayed to the path again.  
  
"If I were you, I'd be cautious," Kagura shrugged, watching her closely as her aura fluctuated between the normal human feel and that strange youkai aura that had enveloped her ever since she had thought she was in danger. "However, Naraku IS powerful, and he is very knowledgeable with problems like yours. Unless you want to be tied to that hanyou for eternity, you will come with me now."  
  
"Wait, eternity?" Kagome's eyes widened, her body stiffening as she turned to face the woman. "You mean this will happen even when I'm reincarnated?" she demanded, trying to ignore the way her heart started to pound. 'It...it can't be...' she bit her lip, the conversation with the voice echoing in her head.  
  
"Reincarnated?" Kagura's expression filled with genuine surprise. "You mean you don't know?"  
  
"Know...what?" she urged, afraid of the answer, but needing to hear it all the same.  
  
Kagura gestured with a fan at Kagome's altered appearance, her expression saying quite clearly she thought the answer was obvious, "Miko, you feel like a youkai, not a human. You seem to switch between the two...like now... If you're still a mortal after what has happened to you, I'd be amazed."  
  
Kagome gaped at her, her hand lifting to her mouth as she took a step back before she dropped heavily to her knees. It was impossible, wasn't it? Her throat went dry, hands fisting hard in denial as she shook her head against the possibility. This was Kagura, after all, she'd lie in a heartbeat to suit her purposes.  
  
Kagura tilted her head down to meet the girl's gaze, her own uncharacteristically sympathetic, "You really didn't know."  
  
"You're lying," Kagome whispered, her eyes sparking as the growl rose threateningly from her throat.  
  
"I could be, except I don't have a reason to lie about that," she shrugged, completely unconcerned with the accusation. "I could prove it, but not here. It would draw too much attention and that would make it impossible for us to speak."  
  
Kagome nodded dumly, feeling the prick of tears behind her eyes as she turned her face again towards their camp, 'Where IS Inuyasha?!'  
  
"He won't come," Kagura answered the naked question on the miko's face.  
  
When Kagome's head snapped around, her eyes narrowed and glowing dangerously, Kagura quickly held up her hands to convey her innocence, "I did nothing. I have simply been waiting for a time I could approach you uninterrupted. The undead miko is near and he went to her."  
  
Kagura hadn't thought it possible, but the air around the miko instantly turned frigid, the youkai aura rising and completely obliterating any trace of human blood. Kagura leaned away from the girl nervously, shivering at the chill, and astounded at how quickly the transformation occured. Kagome's face was perfectly expressionless, her pupils fading as she rose to her feet, but the air around her had grown nearly oppressive with menace and Kagura had to swallow several times before she could speak again.  
  
"At least with Naraku, you are aware of the dangers up front," Kagura murmured, reaching out to close her hand on the girl's shoulder. Her eyes widened at the power vibrating off the girl, and she quickly released her in fear of being purified, "He... he can set you free of the hanyou and if you promise to help me free myself, I swear to you that I will keep you alive. I'll even help you leave the jewel shards you have with the safety of your companions to prove I have no ulterior motives."  
  
Kagome stil said nothing, lifting her head as searched the air for Inuyasha's scent.  
  
Kagura held out her hand again, making certain to put herself in the miko's line of sight, "This is the only chance you will have to make this decision. Naraku is not often in a mood to be generous like this, and if you don't come now, he may change his mind."  
  
Kagome's hand snaked out and caught the wind youkai's wrist in a nearly crushing grip. She yanked the startled woman forwards and growled in a low, deadly voice, "Show me Inuyasha."  
  
**  
  
"Don't do this, Kikyou," Inuyasha pushed himself to his feet, his expression grim as she reached for yet another arrow.  
  
"You've betrayed me for the last time, Inuyasha," she hissed out, enraged at his reactions. "You've broken your promises to me."  
  
Before she could take aim again, Inuyasha leapt forward, backhanding the bow out of her hands and deep into the woods to their left. He grabbed her forearms in an unyielding grip and pinned her arms to her side as he growled, "Dammit, Kikyou, stop! I warned you... I warned you before not to force me to choose like this!"  
  
"You made those promises to me long before that child came along!" she struggled once against his hold, then stood still, her body taut and trembling with supressed emotions.  
  
"And we both died," his ears flattened back, his hands tightening on her arms as he struggled with his own conflicting emotions. "Kagome brought me back, but you...you weren't meant to be brought back like this. It wasn't meant to be between us. I...I have a life with her now."  
  
"Did you take your promises to me so lightly then?" Kikyou turned her gaze up to him, the rage melting into sorrow. "Did I mean so little to you, Inuyasha, that you would turn so quickly to a copy?"  
  
Inuyasha growled low in his throat, giving her a shake, "Kagome is not a copy, Kikyou. You tried to kill her and I can't forgive you for that. I promised to bring protect you and to kill Naraku, and I will... But you... you have to leave. I won't die and leave Kagome now, and I won't let anyone take her from me. Not even you."  
  
"Then I mean nothing to you now?" Kikyou's voice was quiet and flat as he released her and took a step back. "All it took was this to make you forget what we were to each other?"  
  
"I'm responsible for what happened, and I will punish Naraku for what he has done," he repeated, his hands curling into tight fists at his sides.  
  
"You make no mention of what we shared," Kikyou took a step towards him, her hand lifting to his cheek. "Can you truly forget so easily, Inuyasha? You were going to become human for me..."  
  
A small, warm smile touched his solemn features at that, "I don't have to be human for anyone anymore."  
  
Kikyou's brows drew together quickly in annoyance and she wrapped her arms around him, pressing her cheek to his chest, "I should be the one you love, not her."  
  
"I'm sorry," Inuyasha closed his eyes, standing stiff and unresponsive in the embrace. "I... I can't."  
  
Kikyou turned her gaze to the side momentarily, then leaned up until she had her cheek pressed to his as she whispered, "And I warned you, Inuyasha... I will not share you."  
  
She turned her head and pressed her lips to his.  
  
**  
  
Kagome hopped silently off the feather Kagura had "summoned" to answer her demand to see Inuyasha, pausing when her foot came in contact with something unnatural to the forest floor. She frowned, looking down to find the instantly indentifiable weapon.  
  
Kikyou's bow.  
  
Kagura watched the miko bend down and lift the bow, narrowing her eyes warily even as she guided the wind to hide their presence from the sensative hanyou. She'd never been around a creature under a spell such as the one afflicting this young miko, and the auras she threw off at any given time were wildly unpredictable, power without real control. It was those violent fluctuations that were putting the wind youkai on edge.  
  
She shook off the musings when Kagome sent her a look that seemed to demand direction, the undead miko's bow held horizontally at waist level as though she was restraining herself from snapping it in half right there. Kagura pointed forward and moved to follow close behind when Kagome made her way to the treeline.  
  
Kagura's brows rose sharply when they found a break in the dense foliage and she had to fight to restrain herself from laughing out loud when Kagome went perfectly still.  
  
The undead miko and the hanyou were kissing.  
  
'It's like he's fucking handing her to me on a plate,' Kagura's lips twitched at his idiocy even as she breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
The amusement was short lived when the wind youkai was flung backwards as the energy that had already been roiling violently around Kagome arched madly. She steadied herself with difficulty, lifting her hand to her heart when she felt something pulling at her own energy, dragging her down. Concerned and tense, she leaned around to get a look at the young miko's face.  
  
Kagome's face was deathly pale, her pupils faded into nonexistance as her eyes glowed with masked emotions. Her expression, however, was disturbing in the perfect blankness. A pocket of wind around the girl shifted, startling Kagura as it turned into a small vortex moving opposite of her own directions as the girl's eyes turned glassy... liquid.  
  
Just one more push.  
  
Kagura took a deep breath and leaned close to whisper to the girl holding her control by a thread, "Do you really want to be bound to a man like that forever, miko? Do you want to be a substitute for something he can never have? Is it even your face he's seeing when he looks at you?"  
  
Kagome said nothing, but Kagura could tell from the way her knuckles turned white on the bow that she was listening and she pressed harder, "You have your choice. If you stay, he will use you and leave you at the first chance to be with his precious corpse. Or help me... Help me now and I will help you free yourself from him and spare you a youkai's lifetime of this."  
  
A single tear made it's way down her cheek at the same instant her white-knuckled grip on the bow tightened enough to snap the wood in half. Kagome didn't even flinch when the string ripped apart, lancing back and slicing deep cuts in her face from her cheek down to her jaw on either side.  
  
"Take me to Naraku." 


	39. The greatest lies hide in truth....

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi...  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: The greatest lies hide in truth......  
  
Inuyasha opened his eyes as he lifted his hands and set them on Kikyou's shoulders, pushing her away, "Kikyou..."  
  
Kikyou wasn't looking at him though, her eyes were again off to the side as she stared at something only she could see, "I told you I would kill her, Inuyasha. Things would be simple if she were no longer in the way."  
  
Inuyasha tensed, nearly throwing Kikyou away from him at the insinuation in her voice. Alarmed, he spun around, his senses alert as he searched for Kagome's presence. His eyes widened in shocked disbelief when he realized the wind had formed a sort of pocket in the grove, nothing but what he could see registering to his ears or his nose. For as good as his senses were right now, anything could be beyond the tree-line and he wouldn't have known until it was too late.  
  
Like now, he thought grimly, pressing a hand to his heart and focusing inward in an effort to feel the steady pulse behind his, Kagome's heartbeat. It should have been simple, strong and steady with his own, but it nearly eluded him, distant and faint...  
  
"What have you done?" he whispered in pained denial, his fingers curling into a tight fist over his chest as his instincts screamed a warning over the loss of contact. Turning back to see Kikyou at the edge of the grove, surrounded by her youkai, his eyes darkened fiercely, "What the hell have you done with Kagome?"  
  
"You'll come back to me once she betrays you," Kikyou flashed him a cold, enigmatic smile. "That girl is a fool. As long as she thinks she is the one in control, she will not fight against the powers directing her. She will not force him from her mind. He knows it... and he will use that to its full advantage when he comes for you. She does not have the knowledge or the control to stop herself or her powers, Inuyasha, not when they are being fed by another. You will have to kill her, and then there will only be one of us."  
  
Inuyasha turned around slowly to face her completely, his chest tightening even as a touch of scarlet bled into his glowing eyes, "Where is she?"  
  
Kikyou looked away from him, her face bland as her youkai lifted her off her feet, "I will not tolerate anyone who tries to come between us, Inuyasha. You told me that you didn't want to make the choice... Now you don't have to. You will be mine in Hell," she answered as the youkai disappeared into the trees with her in tow.  
  
"Kikyou!" Inuyasha snarled out, reaching a hand towards her despite the futility of the motion. He knew she was already gone, "Damn you, Kikyou! If anything happens to Kagome, I'll-!"  
  
Inuyasha stopped abruptly as with Kikyou's departure, the wind shifted and blew naturally through the small clearing again, freed from whatever force had held it still. His heart began to pound all over again when the wind brought him a scent he knew only too well, 'Blood? Kagome's blood?!'  
  
His head snapped around towards the source, Kikyou forgotten as he covered the distance in almost one straight, desperate leap, crashing through the brush in his haste to locate the source of that smell. A bright glint, half-hidden in the matted foliage, had him skidding to a stop as he dropped into an instinctive, defensive crouch.  
  
Inuyasha's heart nearly stopped when instead of the weapon he'd been anticipating, he recognized Kagome's necklace, smeared with her blood and the chain broken as though ripped forcefully from her neck. But the shards were all there...  
  
His hand closed so tightly over the glass vial it was a wonder the fragile material didn't shatter. Had she been kidnapped and he'd let himself be too distracted by Kikyou's presence to see it? To realize the clearing had been closed off to his senses? Did Kagome pull the necklace off and drop it herself in an attempt to keep it safe from her attacker?  
  
He cursed, long and black in his growing rage until his eyes fell on the remnants of Kikyou's bow a few feet away. Inuyasha rose to his feet with growing apprehension, his ears flattening back as he shuffled closer to look down at the two separate pieces. The wood had been snapped in half under enough force that the string itself had been ripped apart in the same place, and the broken ends of that string were gleaming sickly in the afternoon sun.  
  
That was the real concentration for the smell of Kagome's blood.  
  
Numbly, Inuyasha crouched down again, reaching out to lightly touch one of the dripping strings, but the moment his fingers came in contact with the blood, he let out a sharp hiss and rocked back on his heels. Pain flooded through him so deep and intense it brought the sting of tears to his eyes, and on the heels of that mind-splintering sensation came a wash of rage to sweep it all down to his stomach. The abrupt emotions left him confused and shaking even as he stared at the blood coating his fingertips.  
  
'These...are Kagome's emotions?!' Inuyasha's eyes widening in dawning understanding and horror as his gaze moved from his fingers to the section of the clearing visible from that position.  
  
The vial shattered.  
  
'Kikyou... Kikyou tricked me!' his eyes clenched shut as his body shook with anger that was unlike any he'd ever known. 'She knew... She KNEW Kagome could see us. That's why she kissed me like that...'  
  
When Inuyasha opened his eyes again they were glowing scarlet, and he looked down from Kagome's blood on his fingers to the blood on the bow and dripping onto the grass with a frown. It wasn't that much, but it would have to do.  
  
Baring his teeth, he reached out and slid his hand over the strings, and then the grass beneath them, collecting all that he could, "This had better fucking work."  
  
He lifted the hand almost tentatively, scowling at it a moment before his let out of pent-up breath and licked the blood off his palm and fingers. If he could feel the emotions she had felt when he touched the blood, wouldn't consuming it give him a clearer link to what she was feeling now?  
  
A jolt rocked through him as he swallowed the last of it, knocking him on his back as he reflexively clutching his pounding heart, snarling at the greatly intensified wash of pain constricting his chest. But this time he could feel something new. Nearly smothered beneath the severity of the pain and rage was a broken thread of sorrow. It had been buried so deep beneath the other two he almost missed it, but the feelings were intense... youkai emotions instead of human...  
  
What the fuck was happening to his Kagome to make her feel youkai emotions?  
  
The growl rose deep in his chest, a natural response to the chaotic jumble of sensation he could feel through Kagome's blood. Kikyou had said she didn't have the knowledge or control to stop herself. Did she know Kagome was experiencing youkai emotions and use that against her, knowing that as a human, they would be too intense?  
  
His eyes dropped bitterly to the evidence at his feet, 'She had to know. She... wanted Kagome to feel them... to lose control without realizing it... She said-'  
  
Inuyasha's eyes sparked murderously as he made the connection between what Kikyou said and what it meant. HE knew, and HE would use it.  
  
The second voice. The man who tricked Kagome the last time she had fought Kikyou herself, almost getting her killed and turning her against him. The man who had tried to steal her from him.  
  
With Kagome out of range she would be vulnerable to that voice again, but who would know enough about them to be able to fool Kagome into thinking he was telling the truth?  
  
A light breeze curled around Inuyasha almost mockingly, bringing with it a scent that was almost enough to push him over the edge of his control.  
  
Kagura had been in this spot... with Kagome.  
  
Naraku had taken her.  
  
**  
  
Kagome would have been violently disgusted with herself if she knew, or more importantly, if she cared, that the blank expression she'd adopted to mask her inner turmoil made her look more like Kikyou than she ever had before.  
  
Really the only differences at the moment were that Kikyou's eyes had never glowed pale blue, she would never wear anything remotely similar to the younger girl's futuristic attire, and the undead miko had never in her lifetime or beyond so visibly radiated with her powers.  
  
As Kagura led the silent miko through the darkened passages of Naraku's present castle, traces of blue and scarlet curled around at sporadic intervals. The ground under her feet hissed in protest as the taint seeping into the stones was purified at her passing, and occasionally bolts would lash out at curious youkai minions who wandered too close. And Kagome walked on through it all, leaving them seriously wounded if not out- right killed by the potent blasts.  
  
Kagura kept a fair distance nervously, glancing back at the miko with a tense, calculating expression. Just because Kagome's wild aura hadn't harmed her yet didn't mean it wouldn't, and the wind youkai was beginning to have serious reservations about Naraku's plans for the girl. She doubted even he had suspected the miko could have grown this powerful in such a short span of time, and her lack of control over that power made her dangerous to have anywhere near them. If Kagome ever focused that power...  
  
Kagura shivered at the thought, but at the same moment, she felt a faint glimmer of hope. What if she really could help free her from Naraku? The idea had seemed ludicrous at the time, just an excuse to fool the miko into coming, but now? She'd have to get Kagome alone later, and she doubted even Kanna could hold an image on the girl with this kind of aura tangling the air around her.  
  
*I told you the hanyou did not deserve your love.*  
  
"Shut up," Kagome growled out, focusing on the boiling rage flowing through her rather than what should have been surprise at the forceful return of the man's voice. She knew if she let go of that feelings, the only thing left would be the debilitating pain humming just beneath her calm facade. The rage was the only thing keeping her from sinking into despair at the embrace she'd seen between Inuyasha and Kikyou.  
  
Kagura jumped a bit in surprise, turning a questioning look back at her, "What?"  
  
*Did you really think it was you he wanted when he was fucking you? He cares only for the walking dead. You saw it then and you ignored it. Look at the suffering it's brought you; the pain.*  
  
"I said shut up!" the blue of her eyes turned violet with her deepening rage.  
  
Kagura frowned in cautious surprise, pacing herself a little farther ahead, 'She... isn't talking to me. She hears something else?'  
  
*You should have listened to me from the start. If you had obeyed me you would not have suffered this pain and humiliation. Why did you shut me out, miko? Is my love not good enough for you? You would rather be second choice to a corpse in that hanyou's affections? A convenient substitute?*  
  
"I don't even fucking know who you are," Kagome reached out and grabbed a door in front of her to yank it viciously to the side, either not noticing or not caring that it melted under her touch. "Get out of my head or I'll get you out myself," her teeth clenched so tightly, by all rights she should have ground off the sharp edges.  
  
*Don't act like that with me, Kagome...*  
  
Kagome froze in alarm when she felt something brush past her cheek.  
  
*Not when you were reborn for me.*  
  
'So strong,' Kagome's hand hovered over the last door Kagura had passed through, her eyes narrowing as she swept out her senses to find the owner of that low voice. 'Why is it so close?'  
  
A cool curtain of silky hair slid over her shoulder from above and behind her just as she became aware of a man's presence at her back. His mouth came so close to her ear she could feel not only the warm breath but also the movement on his lips against her own hair, "I cheated death to be with, miko, and you have been returned to me. So much more powerful and beautiful than ever... I can help you, Kagome. You have only to ask..."  
  
**  
  
Inuyasha felt his every muscle snap taut when another magic wrapped itself obviously around Kagome, dampening the feel of her heartbeat and emotions in his head. This magic was dark, oppressive and taunting; a blatant challenge to his claim on her that tipped his own tenuous control that much closer to its breaking point.  
  
He could hear whispering in his mind, low taunts and a mocking voice overlapping itself and making it impossible to distinguish what it was actually saying. The meaning, however, was clear. The owner of that voice was goading him, trying to push him past his limit and make him lose control.  
  
Inuyasha scowled, forcing himself to breath slow and deep in a fight to stay calm. If that voice wanted him to lose it, he'd be willing to bet his life that would only make things worse for Kagome wherever she was. She had pulled off his emotions more than once with nearly disastrous results, so what would happen to her if he lost control and he wasn't close enough to balance the flood of emotions in her? Would it be like before or would it be even worse?  
  
What was happening to her now that something was trying to get to him?  
  
If he was right, and Naraku had taken her, how would she react to being so close to the levels of his magic? Would she be overwhelmed or would she be able to purify the evil energy before she soaked it in? Could she purify something that corrupted when he had the assistance of the Shikon-no-Tama and she had left her shards behind?  
  
"Kagome..." Inuyasha bit down hard on his lower lip, his eyes glistening with suspicious moisture even as his expression filled with helpless, dangerous anger. Too many things could happen to her, 'Don't listen to them, Kagome. Whatever they say, don't... I'll be there as soon as I can. I swear it.'  
  
**  
  
Miroku shivered suddenly, clutching his staff as he frowned and turned his gaze in the direction of the disturbing feeling.  
  
"Houshi-sama?" Sango looked up at him in concern when she caught sight of the tenseness in his stance and expression. "What is it? What's wrong?"  
  
"There is a dark chill in the air, Sango," he responded quietly, closing his eyes as he attempted to focus on what could have caused that chill. "Something has happened..."  
  
Shippo looked up at them, his brows drawing together in worry at the agitation in both adults and glancing in the direction of the spring. Kagome should have been back by now... but then, Inuyasha should have been back too. After last night he wouldn't have thought that so suspicious, but they hadn't left together this time, and something felt... wrong.  
  
He smelled the blood first, coming to his feet with a terrified gasp as he spun around to face the direction where he felt Inuyasha approaching fast. He'd been preparing to jump at the hanyou and demand answers, but the moment Inuyasha came into view, the kitsune screamed and shot behind Miroku for protection.  
  
Inuyasha snarled at them impatiently, his annoyance peaking when the pair dropped instantly into defensive stances at his reappearance, "I'm fucking fine, you idiots! What the hell has gotten into you?!"  
  
The surprise was easy to read on their faces as they studied him, still cautious and looking uncertain enough to deepen his impatient frown. He sounded like himself, a bit rougher perhaps, but he looked... He looked like he was halfway to transforming into his youkai form. It was only the lucidity in his narrowed gaze and the death-grip he had on the Tetsusaiga in its sheath at his hip that assured them he wasn't on the verge of snapping on them.  
  
Sango set her jaw, glancing at Miroku briefly before she spoke, "Inuyasha?"  
  
Miroku warily relaxed his stance when the hanyou growled in disgust, his frown changing to a harsh glare before he turned his gaze north. He could only think of one thing that could bring out this near-change in the hanyou and his throat closed even as he questioned, "What has happened to Kagome-sama, Inuyasha?"  
  
Inuyasha's growl turned primal and deadly even as he clenched his fist around the shards of glass and jewel in his hand. The sharp edges bit into his palm, sending a pulse of alluring energy tingling through his blood even as he answered, "Naraku has her." 


	40. You have only to ask....

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi...  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: You have only to ask....  
  
Kagome whirled around, her hand catching Naraku's throat as she brought her full weight against him with her other shoulder. Kagura leapt back, her eyes wide and mouth slack in surprise as they crashed to the ground, Kagome pressing her knee hard over his heart, one hand still circling his neck while her purifying energy crackled wildly all around them.  
  
Her eyes burned vivid scarlet as she snarled down at him, her power fluctuating in vivid arcs in response to the tainted energy trying to seep through her natural barriers, "Don't you DARE fuck with me like that, Naraku!"  
  
Naraku recovered from his own surprise so quickly, Kagura wondered if he'd felt the emotion at all or if it was simply an illusion for the enraged miko's benefit. His lips curved in a condescending smile as he lay completely unresisting beneath her, as calm as if they were simply making polite conversation, "You can't kill me, miko."  
  
"And what makes you so damn sure of that?" her hands flexed against his throat and her voice lowered with significant threat. "At the moment, I'm not feeling particularly forgiving."  
  
"Kill me and you'll lose your chance to be free of the hanyou," Naraku arched one brow in mocking confidence. "Would you do that when you've already come this far?"  
  
Kagome paused uncertainly and Naraku shifted, taking advantage of her indecision to reach up one hand and brush his fingers over the blood seeping sluggishly from the healing wounds in her cheeks. Kagome jerked her head back when a twinge of pain raced down her spine, her expression filling with disgusted anger as the flesh on his hand hissed and burned down to the bone.  
  
"Truly amazing," he murmured, looking at his hand dispassionately. "You are still so pure... Even after you have sullied yourself with the half-breed."  
  
Kagome moved so fast, Naraku had no idea what she had done until the back of her hand connected with his cheekbone, hard enough to snap his face aside. "Say that again and I don't give a damn if I ever figure out this spell, I'll kill you, Naraku," her lips pulled back in a feral hiss of warning.  
  
He held up his hands in a soothing gesture, his eyes warming slightly when he tasted blood in his mouth. Naraku kept his voice soft as he responded, "I meant you no insult. On the contrary, Kagome, I am... exceedingly impressed by the strength of your soul."  
  
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, but she slowly released her grip on his throat and slid off his chest, balancing lightly on the balls of her feet a few steps away from him, "What game are you trying to play with me? You're the one who was running around in my head before, weren't you? The night Kikyou tried to kill me."  
  
"If you hadn't been assisted, Kikyou would have succeeded in her attempts," Naraku lifted himself gracefully to his feet, his gaze never leaving hers even as he let his eyes slide half-closed to study her appearance. "However, I'm afraid I cannot lay claim to that incident. Had I been the one you heard, I would have saved you this unnecessary aggravation."  
  
Kagome frowned, her anger calming slightly with her curiosity. Was Kagura right? Naraku had the answers she was looking for? A twinge of pain flared to life behind her eyes, prompting her to grunt and lift her hand to her temple as she heard whispers chase through her head again. They were quiet, mumbling and falling over themselves as they made her head pound, but they were not so indistinct that she couldn't tell the voice this time was female.  
  
Ignoring the tension that entered her expression, Naraku waved a hand to indicate himself dismissively, "Unfortunately, I was unaware of that contact. For once, that fool Onigumo actually opened my eyes to what I was missing..."  
  
Kagome's head snapped up, the whispers seeming not so important compared to the shock that rolled through her, "O...Oni...gumo?!"  
  
"Being in limbo as he is, he was aware of your situation long before I," Naraku's brows drew together in mild annoyance. "But he cannot do anything that will not come to my attention sooner or later. Kagura told you I have been watching you, Kagome, and I have. I'm aware that you have been placed under a spell that is unclear to anyone who is attempting to unravel it, perhaps even the caster?"  
  
The answer chased across her eyes before she had a chance to smother it, and Kagome could tell from his quiet laughter that he had seen and interpreted it accurately. She tried to focus, but the ache was increasing and the whispers were growing louder in her mind. Her hands began to shake at the severe sensations and she fisted them in her lap to hide the telling indication of her distress.  
  
Naraku held out a hand to her, "In this matter, miko, you can have faith in me. I have the knowledge and the magic to help you, and I will use it if you would only ask."  
  
Kagome winced, looking up at him as the pain spread through her skull before moving through her blood and concentrating hotly at her hip. She was unable to prevent the hiss of discomfort, clutching both hands to the sides of her had when the volume swelled with a force that stole her breath. She gritted her teeth, trying hard to focus and push the woman's voice out of her mind in an effort to put an end to that horrid sensation, but the aching pulse was making it impossible for her.  
  
Naraku's eyes narrowed fractionally, and he took a step forward to rest a hand on her head despite the way her energy crackled with menace all around him, "He is using Kikyou, you know."  
  
"What are...you talking about?" Kagome's eyes darkened even as a thin line of blood seeped from her nose. Her anger flared again as she lifted a badly shaking hand and brushed the back of it over her face, glaring at the blood smeared over her skin.  
  
"The hanyou has connected himself to you with the help of this spell," he bent down, forcing her to meet his eyes as he stoically ignored the purifying energy lashing out at him and reached out to touch her chin. "You are in pain, are you not? Onigumo tried to get your attention in this way at the first, the voices and whispers in your head? You were uncomfortable with his aura fighting your hanyou's spirit inside you. How much worse is it with the hanyou helping Kikyou bring you this pain? You know she wants you dead and has the powers to invade your soul."  
  
Kagome pulled her head away from his touch, her brow twitching with her efforts to keep silent, "Ki...Kikyou..."  
  
"You can not fight them by yourself," Naraku shook his head, lifting a hand to hide the way his lips curved in a slight smile.  
  
"Go to hell," she gritted out, the skin beneath her eyes darkening to gray.  
  
"Ask me, Kagome," he leaned in close, catching her gaze again easily.  
  
"Why?" Kagome's hand snaked out, fisting in the front of his elaborate kimono and dragging him close enough the he couldn't prevent the slight tensing of discomfort in response to her powers. "Why do you suddenly want to fucking help me, Naraku?"  
  
Naraku reached up, circling her wrist lightly with his fingers, "It's no secret that I have a great... appreciation for things of power, Kagome. You have also become quite pleasing to look at," he laughed softly when her eyes narrowed in sharp irritation. "This spell that has been cast on you; I must admit it has caught my attention just as much as you have yourself. I want to understand it just as much as you do."  
  
Kagome released him abruptly, pressing the heels of her hands hard against her eyes when the whispers pitched higher, a quiet whimper escaping her before she managed to squelch it. It was still impossible to distinguish everything the voice was saying, but she caught the meaning with ease. This woman in her head was urging her to die, to give up much as the whispers had the first time, but this voice had an edge of malice that had been absent in the previous voice, Onigumo's voice.  
  
Naraku took a lock of her hair between her fingers, marveling at the soft texture in a... well, a human turned youkai, he thought with another smile, "If you believe nothing else, Kagome, you know I would do anything in my power to hinder Inuyasha. If I want you alive, doesn't that stand to reason that he would want you dead? He has always chosen the undead over you if given the chance, hasn't he? Let them have each other as they deserve, miko, I find that I prefer the living over some macabre puppet. I was a fool to let you almost slip away."  
  
An animal growl rose in Kagome's throat as distinct images flashed in her mind, images of Inuyasha and Kikyou together, of him running to her and leaving Kagome behind. Tears seeped from the corners of her eyes to mingle with the blood, "I...I don't...trust you...."  
  
"How much more of this can you take before it overcomes you?" he asked her gently, his voice a low soothing murmur to her tortured senses. "The pain inside you is so great that even I can feel it coming from you. Let me prove to you that I want you to live. You don't even have to trust me, Kagome, only accept my help."  
  
Her hands fisted over her stomach when a spasm went through her, nearly doubling her in half, but she growled violently when he reached for her again, "How do I know... you're not the one... doing this, yourself?"  
  
Naraku's brows lifted and he rose elegantly to his feet, holding out his hand to her, "Do you not trust your own powers? I have no blood in you as Inuyasha does, and your magic has been resisting mine ever since you entered my home. You can see that with your own eyes."  
  
Kagome's brows twitched with uncertainty again, and Naraku smiled at her comfortingly, pushing at that doubt.  
  
"The spell is allowing you to absorb the strengths and energy of the youkai around you," he whispered to her. "That is a great skill, Kagome. It makes you very difficult for them to kill."  
  
"Skill?" she repeated quietly in disbelief.  
  
"If you stop pushing my magic away, you could draw off it and make yourself stronger," Naraku splayed his fingers over his heart. "You can purify the Shikon-no-Tama, what makes you think you can't purify the magic you pull into yourself? You want the pain to go away, don't you, Kagome?"  
  
*Do you want Kikyou to win?*  
  
Kagome's brows snapped together at the mild retreat of the pain when the male voice entered her mind, Onigumo's voice. Naraku was...telling the truth? If she absorbed his power, would Kikyou be blocked from her mind?  
  
Kagome's eyes lifted to focus on the coldly handsome face above her, confused at the thought that Naraku honestly wanted to help her.  
  
"Ask."  
  
*Ask, Kagome. We can make it go away and show you how you were meant to be treated and protected. You are stronger than this. Don't let Kikyou win...*  
  
The memory of Inuyasha and Kikyou kissing danced behind her eyes yet again and Kagome's brows slowly lowered in a deadly scowl.  
  
Kagome rocked herself forward, glaring up at him as her hand locked onto his like a lifeline.  
  
**  
  
Inuyasha dropped to his knees, clamping his hands to the sides of his head as his body arched back from the force of the searing agony that swamped through him.  
  
It was hard to say what was worse... The sound of the scream that tore violently from Inuyasha the moment he hit the ground, or the way the ground in a perfect circle around him shattered under a massive blast of energy that knocked the rest of them flat on their backs.  
  
Inuyasha clamped his mouth shut, shaking almost uncontrollably as he fought to contain the urge to scream again and vocalize the strength of the sensations. Something swirled to life in his mind beneath the throbbing and silent screams that made his heart freeze in his chest and the anger he'd been fighting flood his thoughts.  
  
Laughing.  
  
Something was fucking laughing in his head beneath the pain and the screaming.  
  
"Inuyasha!!?" Sango and Miroku shot to their feet, started towards the visibly struggling hanyou only to have him shoot them a fierce glare and throw up one hand in an obvious sign for them to keep their distance.  
  
As they watched, he dropped his chin to his chest, his eyes clenching shut as his lip curled back off his fangs in a snarl, "K...Kagome... She's... getting hurt... badly..."  
  
Shippo's eyes widened, filling with tears as his hands fisted in Miroku's robes where he sat on the monk's shoulder, "That's happening to Kagome?"  
  
Sango's hands clenched into fists at her sides, her own brows lowering in an angry scowl as she watched Inuyasha fight against something they couldn't see, "That bastard!"  
  
Miroku reached out, lightly setting a comforting hand on her shoulder even as his expression turned grim and he murmured, "Kagome-sama will be all right, Sango. Inuyasha will not let anything happen to her."  
  
Oblivious to the conversation beside him, Inuyasha rose carefully to his feet, forcing himself to ignore the pain and focus instead on the rage pouring through him. He didn't have a choice. If he wanted to have any effectiveness he had to risk it spilling over to Kagome, he just hoped he wasn't causing irreparable damage in giving into it.  
  
He was going to make Naraku suffer for a long time for this.  
  
Sango and Miroku didn't have a chance to even flinch as Inuyasha shot forward, ducking down to put a shoulder in each of their stomachs and lift them effortlessly off their feet, weapons and all.  
  
The only warning they got was a growled, "Hang on," and the hanyou was leaping forward at a speed they hadn't thought he would be capable of being so loaded down.  
  
Shippo had barely had enough time to tighten his hands in the monk's robes and even then, he'd still nearly been flung to the ground. He peeked at the shocked faces of Miroku and Sango as they tried to both hold their weapons and Inuyasha, and then buried his face against Miroku's shoulder with a sob, 'Kagome...okaa-san....'  
  
**  
  
Kagura watched in confusion as Naraku pulled Kagome against his chest, catching the girl as she slumped forward. When he lifted her in his arms and carried her to his personal chambers, she trailed behind, "Have you decided to kill her after all?"  
  
Naraku didn't even glance at her as he responded, "Kill her? Of course not."  
  
Her expression turned grim when she felt Naraku's aura drain, Kagome's aura swelling in the same motion as he laid her on top of the futon, "She could kill us."  
  
Naraku frowned at her in annoyance as he rose to his feet, Kagome's back arching up at another pulse in their auras behind him, and her mouth opening in a pained gasp, "Only a fool would kill the guardian of the Shikon jewel when she has been so delightfully enchanted. A human who has the ability to transform completely to a youkai and back all depending on her emotional state... All I must do is discover the root of this spell and turn it to my advantage."  
  
Kagura blinked in surprise, her gaze jumping from Naraku to Kagome, "You want her bound to you instead?"  
  
Naraku's eyes gleamed even as his lips twisted in a coldly arrogant smile, "Can you think of anything that would make such a perfect victory over that damn hanyou? He would be enraged beyond anything else and he'll have known that I have won. There will be nothing he can do to stop me."  
  
"She could purify you," Kagura reminded again when a faint shudder went through his form and Kagome shifted restlessly. "She's almost doing it now," she took a cautious step backwards when the air around the miko took on an ominous chill.  
  
Naraku turned back to the pale figure on the futon, kneeling down at her side, "Only enough to make her believe she is purifying it all. The hanyou is angry...more than angry, and it's making it much easier for me to hide everything she is letting herself absorb. The youkai blood in her is safe from her purification, but not from me."  
  
Kagura's brows rose as miasma curled along his fingertips, watching him reach out and draw his fingers lightly over the deep lines cut into her cheeks. Kagome flinched in her comatose state, her skin sizzling as the heat sealed the injuries and brought an admiring smile to Naraku's face. Under her magic, the miasma burned away, but the mix of the two left the almost perfectly symmetrical lines scarred lightly into her flesh.  
  
They couldn't have looked better if he'd cut them on himself, he decided with an approving nod. Kagome would be so entrenched in the hanyou's youkai blood by the time he found them that it would be almost impossible to revert her. But then, he had to do something about her hearing that bastard's voice...  
  
"How is it possible that she feels just like a youkai?" Kagura cleared her throat, wondering if Naraku would actually answer. The look on his face as he trailed his fingers down the miko's throat and turned her face from side to side was more than a little disturbing. 'He really is obsessed with her...' her lips turned down in disgust.  
  
Naraku slid his hand down to circle her throat, leaning down to stare at her as though she were a very complex puzzle, "I have never seen a human like this one. One spell and her magic transforms her completely without the aid of the Shikon-no-Tama. She's not a human, hanyou, or a youkai..."  
  
Kagome tensed when his hand slid down over her heart and then further to press flat against her stomach, her body unconsciously attempting to escape the touch causing her pain.  
  
"Not even I am capable of such a thing," Naraku lifted his free hand to caress the large chunk of the corrupted Shikon-no-Tama at his own throat. "If I command not only the jewel, but the jewel's guardian who's powers rival that of anything I have seen before, nothing will be able to stop me."  
  
"Then why this?" Kagura indicated Kagome's still form.  
  
Naraku's smiled turned cruel, "They seem to feel the emotions of the other if it is strong enough. Inuyasha will go insane when he feels what her body is experiencing and he knows that her mind is unaware of it. She'll be causing herself and him the pain, but only he will feel it."  
  
When Naraku's hand slid along her stomach to the tattoo, he let out a shout of pain, leaping back away from her when a sharp blast of energy shot through his arm, numbing it to the shoulder. His brows rose high in annoyed surprise as he regarded his steaming flesh, "Damn."  
  
**  
  
Inuyasha hissed, skidding to a halt and dumping his passengers unceremoniously to the ground as he clamped his hand over his heart. Miroku and Sango let out startled exclamations, the sounds cut off as they looked up at the hanyou's surprised expression.  
  
"Something... strange just happened," he looked up at them in alarm. "For just a second it all... it all went away... I could feel her!"  
  
"What did you feel?" Miroku prodded, his face tense.  
  
Inuyasha shook his head, "She's confused. Everything in her mind is... is chaotic. But the pain wasn't in her mind... I can feel it, but it was almost like-"  
  
"She didn't?" Sango finished, lifting her hand to her heart. "Like the first time I fought you, but...if Naraku had used a shard on her, wouldn't she purify it?"  
  
"It wasn't a shard," Inuyasha growled out. "I don't know what it is, but she's not feeling whatever he's doing to her."  
  
Miroku frowned, "Perhaps that is not such a bad thing." At their questioning expressions, he clarified hesitantly, "With all Naraku is capable of doing, would you rather Kagome-sama was aware of the pain you feel from her, Inuyasha?"  
  
Inuyasha scowled, turning in the direction he'd felt her from, "No..."  
  
"Could you tell how far away she is?" Sango urged, glaring at the setting sun.  
  
"Too far to carry you lot tonight," he gritted his teeth, eyes squeezing shut as he focused on the lingering feel of Kagome. She'd jolted back into his head so abruptly it had nearly staggered him, but more importantly, the feel of the magic wrapped around her had yanked away as well. She had to be fighting him, that was the only thing he could think of that would make the laughter retreat so quickly like that.  
  
Unfortunately, the moment he felt her clearly, a wave of weakness went through him so quickly that he'd nearly fainted. Kagome was weak if she'd absorbed so much in that brief moment, but wouldn't it help that she'd just infused herself with his energy?  
  
His hand lifted to his face, 'Her cheeks hurt... why would her cheeks hurt?'  
  
Miroku let out a shout of alarm when the color abruptly drained from Inuyasha's face, "Inuyasha!?"  
  
Between one breath and the next, Inuyasha crumpled to the ground.  
  
**  
  
Inuyasha opened his eyes warily, aware only that he was flat on his back and looking up into a dark sky. Alarmed, he shot to his feet, his gaze darting around for some sign of his companions, but there was nothing but the overwhelming darkness. Inuyasha began to search the gloom frantically for the others, yelling out as loud as he could manage, 'Oi! Where is everyone?!'  
  
There was an odd distortion to his voice, thick and muggy as though his mouth was moving too slow for the actual sound of him speaking. Confused, he lifted his hand to his throat, searching the heavy silence around him for something, anything to give him a clue of where he was and how he'd gotten there.  
  
Something slammed into him from behind, sending him face first to the ground. Dazed, he shot up, reaching for the Tetsusaiga, 'N-nani?!'  
  
The sword was missing, and there was no sign of his attacker in the dark silence surrounding him, 'Who's there?! Show yourself you fucking coward!!'  
  
'Stop yelling, you fucking idiot, there's nothing wrong with my ears.' 


	41. With the best intentions.....

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi..  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: With the best intentions.....  
  
Inuyasha froze in alarm, his eyes slowly narrowing as his ears twitched madly in an effort to locate the source of that unidentifiable voice, 'Who the fuck are you and what have you done with the others?!'  
  
'Hell, I should have known you'd make this as difficult as possible.'  
  
Inuyasha growled menacingly, his claws flexing as he turned in a slow circle and tested the heavy air for a scent, 'Listen up, you asshole! Either you show your fucking face right now and I kill you quickly, or you make me look for you and I take you apart one piece at a time! Your choice.'  
  
'You never change, do you, hanyou?'  
  
'You think you know me?!' his eyes blazed as he swung around, swearing at his inability to hear or smell anything around him. It was like his human nights, he thought darkly, 'Dammit, who ARE you?!'  
  
'Will you calm the fuck down for once in your life so I can help before you try to rip out my throat? Or should I leave now and let you try and sort out this mess on your own?' the voice growled out almost directly behind him, prompting Inuyasha to swing around and make a blind strike. The voice sighed in annoyance, 'This is why we didn't come to you.'  
  
Inuyasha's eyes widened in realization. Kagome said she couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman, and that it felt too real to be a dream... His eyes blazed angrily, 'You fucking sonofabitch!! You're the one who's been in Kagome's head! The one who did all this shit to my Kagome!'  
  
'I'm not the fucking genius who kissed a corpse in front of her when she was in flux, you asshole!' the voice snapped back defensively as a blunt force smacked hard against Inuyasha's chest, pushing him backwards.  
  
'Oi! Enough!!' another voice broke in abruptly, startling Inuyasha with the sound so close at his back that his exploding temper really had a chance to really snap over the loaded accusation. 'This won't get us anywhere and it could hurt Kagome more!'  
  
Inuyasha tensed, turning sideways to stand where he thought both "voices" would be in front of him, 'You know what's happening to her...'  
  
'We're...ah, figuring it out,' the second voice responded, just as unisex as the first but distinctly younger, and colored with slight embarrassment.  
  
'Wha-? What the hell?!' Inuyasha's expression twisted with enraged disbelief. 'You cast the spell on her and you didn't even know what it would fucking do?!!'  
  
There was a brief moment of silence, then a flurry of angry whispers quiet enough for the actual words to escape Inuyasha's hearing. He growled in annoyance, his eyes gleaming until the second voice made a sound like clearing its throat and responded, 'We knew what it was "supposed" to do...'  
  
'Then what the fuck did you do wrong?' his eyes narrowed sharply.  
  
The first voice rose in anger, 'It wasn't our mistake! Kagome's soul didn't react to the magic the way it should have! She-'  
  
'Don't speak of her so familiarly, you worthless bastard!' Inuyasha rounded on that voice, his ears flattened back and hackles raised in instinctive reflex. Something about that first voice set him on edge and made him want to lash out, 'I want to talk to this other one, not to you.'  
  
'If not for me, KAGOME would have been seriously hurt if not killed by those fucking youkai almost a month ago, you-!'  
  
'That's it, I'm fucking taking your throat out!' Inuyasha interrupted and tensed, ready to spring at the source of that mocking voice.  
  
'This is NOT productive, you two!!' a hand snaked out and caught Inuyasha sharply upside the head, knocking him off-balance as the second voice barked authoritatively at both of them. 'Inuyasha-sama, we did not risk bringing you to us and revealing you in this way just for you to get into a damn pissing contest! We don't want Kagome to get hurt and we can't get to her when she's surrounded by Naraku's power like this. We need you to listen and help us before he does something that could permanently damage her soul.'  
  
Inuyasha rubbed his hand, glaring into the darkness warily and only slightly mollified by the respect in the younger voice, 'I want some answers from you two fuck-ups before I listen to anything you say.'  
  
'I told you this would be a waste of time,' the first voice grumbled.  
  
There was a muffled curse and something that sounded distinctly like smack and a grunt, 'Will you shut up! We owe him this, you moron, especially after you're the one who opened her up to accepting youkai energy with that stunt.'  
  
Inuyasha's lip curled and he had to forcefully restrain himself from hunting out that first voice's owner all over again. Instead, he settled for barking out, 'Start fucking explaining! What the hell was the spell supposed to do and what is it doing to her now?!'  
  
There was another curse and a defeated sigh before he felt that bizarre disembodied hand on his shoulder, 'Please understand, Inuyasha- sama, we only wanted to help you and Kagome. She's just as stubborn as you are and we were worried it would keep the two of you apart. So when we...ah, found this spell, we decided to use it and open your eyes a little on how much she meant to you.'  
  
Inuyasha bristled in agitation, 'I didn't need any fucking help!'  
  
'It took you a damn month to claim her after we cast the thing when in more than two years you hadn't even kissed her,' the first voice snorted in disgust. 'You ought to be thanking us, hanyou.'  
  
'For nearly getting her killed more than once? Not bloody likely,' he bared his teeth, uncaring if the gesture was wasted in the darkness or not.  
  
'We didn't realize that Kagome being the carrier and guardian of the Shikon-no-Tama along with her miko powers would make the spell distort,' the second voice raised to be heard over the growling between the two, bringing Inuyasha's attention back to it. 'Everything started out fine. She activated the mark, you set the word.... but then the spell changed.'  
  
'How?' he demanded, folding his arms over his chest. In a way he was relaxing, finally getting the answers to the questions that had been driving him insane, but at the same time, he was even more agitated than before. The spell had gone wrong...  
  
'We used your blood to make the mark, but we had made sure it was dormant,' it answered hesitantly while the first voice muttered under its breath behind the second. 'When she was attacked, we thought that the best way to save her was to use the link and give her a boost of power. We attacked the youkai through her when she gave us control.'  
  
'But she broke the fucking seal on your blood when she let us in,' the second growled in his ear, taunting him with its proximity when they knew there was nothing he could do to prevent it. 'Her miko powers matured so quickly with the source of the youkai magic and blood that she threw her soul wide open and turned herself into a conduit.'  
  
'My blood? You...tattooed my name in her with my blood?' Inuyasha took an instinctive step, his mind reeling with the implication. 'Are you insane?! You didn't tell me OR her that you'd-'  
  
'If things had gone as planned it wouldn't have made a difference!' the second voice protested.  
  
'That's why it fucking hurt her... She was fighting the youkai blood and she didn't know it,' he shook his head, raising his hand to rake it through his hair in his growing agitation. 'And when men touched her...'  
  
'You have...possessive blood where Kagome's concerned,' it agreed quickly. 'She didn't really fight it because it recognized your aura, but it would react to anything it saw as a threat. She didn't tell you it got darker, did she?'  
  
Inuyasha's brows drew together angrily, 'No...'  
  
'We had to talk to her. We knew it would risk keeping the path open, but if we didn't speak with her there could have been more distortion that she could handle. She fought us for a long time.'  
  
Inuyasha's lips twisted in a satisfied smirk, 'You thought she'd trust you?'  
  
'Shut the hell up, hanyou, we're TRYING to help here even though you don't deserve it,' the first voice snapped, smacking him against the side of the head again.  
  
'I didn't know why I thought this could be easy with the two of you in the same place,' the second voice cut in, heavy with annoyance this time. 'Look, this IS serious and we do have a bit of time limit, you know!'  
  
'What the fuck do you mean we have a time limit?' Inuyasha's voice had lowered to a dangerous whisper.  
  
'Kagome is in flux-'  
  
'I said that already,' the first voice cut its companion off in disgust.  
  
'You didn't explain anything!' the second snapped, stopping itself and taking a deep breath. 'I am not arguing about this...'  
  
'Would you explain this to me already?!' Inuyasha snarled at both of them.  
  
The second voice answered, 'The two of you mated before the spell stopped distorting itself. After what happened with the other miko, the dead one, and Kagome balancing herself into a hanyou for your human night, you had connected yourself in ways we that we couldn't prepare for. I told you your blood was possessive and when she almost died, your blood and soul wrapped around her and just wouldn't let go.'  
  
'Don't mention Kikyou to me,' Inuyasha's voice filled with pain, gritting his teeth as his fists clenched. 'Kagome told me that YOU said my heart took over for hers. That she would have died if you hadn't connected us.'  
  
'That was true,' Inuyasha could hear the nod in the voice. 'You were connected before, but after that, she accepted the possession from you and stopped pushing against your attempts to direct her. She protected your blood and began to use her powers to mingle your blood with her own. You should have noticed... Before she accepted it, your soul was expending so much energy pushing itself into her that your own energy was draining faster than you could generate it.'  
  
His eyes widened, 'When I kept falling asleep...'  
  
'Exactly, but you left enough of your youkai blood behind to cause the spell to change again. We don't know how it's changing her, but the blood has mixed together to the point that we couldn't remove it from her without killing her.'  
  
'She's...she's turning hanyou?!' Inuyasha felt of dizziness sweep through him.  
  
'No, no... not hanyou. It's not something we've ever seen happen before.'  
  
'What do you mean?' his heart started to pound nervously, and he pressed his hand flat to his chest in an effort to ease that telltale sign.  
  
'Well, your blood and her powers are working with the spell,' there was a note of uncertainty in the voice that had Inuyasha's eyes narrowing even as it tried to expound on that explanation. 'The youkai blood stays separate from the human instead of mixing together like a hanyou. It has made...changes to her human side, but when she feels threatened, the youkai blood overwhelms her. When that happens, your blood takes over and it's almost as though there's nothing human about her at all. She's not hanyou, youkai, or even human anymore.'  
  
Inuyasha blinked several times, trying to process the information he'd just received, 'Then... what is she? Is she...is she still mortal?'  
  
'We don't think so, but every single time we've tried to read her since you mated, your aura attacks us and keeps us away from her soul,' the second voice explained. 'Course it doesn't fucking help that every time we've tried to tell her how to stay safe you do something that makes her lose control!' the first voice hissed out.  
  
'What the fuck are you talking about?' Inuyasha's eyes slowly began to glow, bleeding red at the strength of the anger racing through him.  
  
'Will you let me do this?!' the second voice was nearly silent, supremely frustrated as it argued with the first. 'Inuyasha-sama, Kagome is feeling emotions as a youkai instead of as a human. She's used to handling her emotions at a much lower level and until she adapts to the intensity of youkai feeling, it's very easy for her to become overwhelmed and lose control of them. When that happens, the blood, YOUR blood, thinks she's in danger and takes over to protect her. Her first instinct is to get away from what's causing that danger and when she obeys the instinct, she's going out of range to balance against you.'  
  
'Now you're saying it's MY fault?!' he growled out, his lip curling in disgust.  
  
There was a snort and then the sound of another smack before the younger voice continued, 'You didn't know. What's making it worse is that there was another soul prodding her aura, waiting for her to move out of range. When you mated, your soul took a much stronger grasp over Kagome's and she absorbed a larger portion to hold in your blood inside her. That's what has made her so vulnerable. While her body and soul are readjusting into... whatever it is that she's becoming, they are relying heavily on your spirit for direction. You are also her first-'  
  
'Only,' Inuyasha corrected in a flat, cold voice.  
  
'Her only mate,' it readily agreed. 'She's young and she still thinks like a human. Seeing you in the company of...of another woman she knows you cared deeply for when she is uncertain of your feelings made her fight against your presence inside her. She was so focused on the sight in front of her that she failed to recognize something pushing in on her and urging her to lose control of herself. With the sudden upset of her emotions, it was a simple matter for him to gain access and make her think it was her own mind directing her.'  
  
'Directing her to do what?' the air around Inuyasha hummed with menace.  
  
'To leave with Kagura.'  
  
Inuyasha hadn't thought he was capable of feeling such intense pain when he hadn't received an injury, but the voice's words sent him to him knees. Kagome had left... She'd seen what happened, Naraku had been waiting to implant the thoughts in her head, and because she couldn't handle youkai emotions, she'd given into them. Now Kagome was open to Naraku's influence, in danger and in pain, and there was nothing he could do about it until he found her.  
  
'How could I not have fucking seen it....' he whispered, his eyes squeezing shut.  
  
'I could take a guess,' the first voice muttered only to earn a quick hiss from the second.  
  
'Kagome is in great danger now because of the strength of Naraku's aura. She is sensitive to the Shikon-no-Tama... it hunts for her just as much as you do it. It was a part of her for so long that it does not feel complete without her. Naraku only knows that her aura doesn't push against the magic filtering through the jewel or the youkai blood inside her, and he's using that link to hide his presence inside her.'  
  
'I'll kill him.'  
  
The voice paused at the intensity of the hanyou, but continued gently, 'She is purifying most of the energy filtering into her, but she is weakened being away from you. Her soul feels the youkai blood's strength and borrows more and more of it to restore her energy and fight what it sees as a threat. Without your soul in range, it is being tricked into thinking Naraku's aura is a substitute, but the sheer force of the magic she's absorbing is starting to kill her human blood. We don't know what will happen if that occurs.'  
  
Inuyasha looked ahead, his eyes glassy as he recalled the wave of weakness that had gone through him when he'd reconnected to her in that brief moment, 'He's keeping her from finding me.'  
  
'Her soul CAN differentiate between the feel of you and the feel of another, but if she's threatened your blood will take from anything near to keep her strong. If you don't find her in the next day, Inuyasha-sama, she'll absorb enough that Naraku will be able to form a shell around her and prevent her from sensing your aura even when you are close enough. He will prevent you from connecting and balancing with her. The good news is that you're soul is still fighting off any male that comes near her, but it is likely taking it to the extreme and forming a barrier even you could not penetrate. Even now, you're going to have to make contact, physical contact to force his aura out of her completely and convince your blood she's safe to balance instead of absorb.'  
  
'That won't be a problem,' his voice was still flat, intense, and terrifying with the promise of danger weighing heavily in it. 'I'll get her away from that bastard before anything happens and then you are going to get your ass back here and we are going to talk. I want to know how to fix this shit so that nothing like this can happen to her again.'  
  
'Inuyasha-sama, you aren't listening. We CAN'T reverse it without killing her! The best we can do is stop the distortion so that the spell settles and quits changing itself. But you are correct, you do have to get her away from Naraku before she does serious damage to herself. We simply don't have any more time to waste right now.'  
  
'We can't stay any longer,' the first voice snarled out, more to its companion than to Inuyasha. 'We've already kept the path between the two of them closed for too long trying to help this arrogant bastard.'  
  
'What the fuck?!' Inuyasha rounded on them angrily. 'You closed her off from me even after you're the ones telling me all this about keeping her close? Are you trying to fucking get her killed?!'  
  
'Oi! Would you rather we not have come?' it growled back. 'Face it, hanyou, you fucking owe us for helping you out. Without us, there's no telling how badly you would have fucked things up when you faced Naraku.'  
  
'Liar! I'd sooner kill you than agree with that bullshit,' Inuyasha returned, his hands fisting at his sides. 'When this is over and she's safe, I'm going to track you down and take your hearts out for causing this mess!'  
  
The second voice made a slight tsking noise as the landscape around Inuyasha blurred and dipped, the feel and sounds around him fading away, 'Try not to lose your temper when you get close to her, Inuyasha-sama. Kagome is taking on too much of you as it is...' 


	42. Hear no evil....

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi..  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Hear no evil....  
  
*Kagome?*  
  
'Go away....'  
  
*Ahh, then you are awake, you're just ignoring us.*  
  
'No,' her brow furrowed in confusion as her mind fought its way upward through layers of fog and confusion. Something had happened... Something important, but for the life of her, she just couldn't remember what it was. 'No, I... I didn't hear you before,' her entire body felt heavy, like something was pressing down on her chest and keeping her from taking a proper breath.  
  
*You accepted our help just in time. We barely managed to block out the hanyou and Kikyou before they killed you.*  
  
It was so quiet...  
  
Kagome tried to force her protesting eyelids to open and figure out how Naraku's castle could be so still, so silent. It just didn't seem natural, not when the more lucid she became, the more she could feel things she was certain she should be hearing. A breeze passed along her body, making her shiver faintly as she sensed a variety of auras passing by, far enough away that she could only guess they were passing outside whatever room she had been placed in.  
  
*Your aura is restoring your strength now that we have removed their ability to influence you. Give it a moment, Kagome, you are powerful enough to restore yourself as fast as any youkai.*  
  
Kagome's eyes squeezed tightly shut, gritting her teeth as she forced her resisting body to obey the commands she was giving it. Her eyes opened a bare slit, solid crimson and glowing with the banked rage pulsing just beneath the surface of her conscious emotions. The light dancing across the dark ceiling was streaked with the faint pink and orange of sunlight, bringing a confused frown to her face. Was it evening? Or had she been unconscious all night? Worse, had she been unconscious for longer...?  
  
A foreboding shudder rippled along Kagome's body as she braced her arms on the ground and awkwardly lifted her upper body off the futon. Taking several deep, bracing breaths, she turned her narrowed gaze left and right in a search for Naraku. She had questions she wanted answered, the least of which as to why she heard Onigumo's voice in her head instead of them speaking to her aloud. Her brows lowered sharply when her eyes found him seated calmly beside the closed shoji, looking as coldly elegant as ever as he watched her with a strangely heated gaze.  
  
"Why are-?" she broke off abruptly, her eyes widening as she let out a startled gasp, lifting her hand to her throat. She could feel her voice vibrate in her throat, the words clearly formed in her mind...  
  
But she couldn't hear a sound.  
  
Naraku watched the shock and dawning horror on the miko's face, a tiny smile tugging at his lips as he spoke. His lips were moving in time to the voice in her mind, *I must offer my deepest apologies, Kagome, but the only way I could close you off from their powers was to block your body's ability to accept sound. Onigumo's link to you will permit us to speak in this way while we protect you from the hanyou and his undead whore.*  
  
That had the desired reaction.  
  
At the mention of Kikyou and Inuyasha, he sent the slightest push against her jumbled emotions, nudging a tiny flicker of the youkai rage and pain sweeping through her past the barriers he'd constructed inside her. The shock washed from Kagome's scarred face, replaced instantly with a solemn chill that sent a spark of appreciation through his own dark eyes.  
  
*They are coming after you, you know,* he slowly rose to his feet, drawing her startled gaze up to him as he came closer and held out a hand. *Come...your hip is bleeding. Let me tend to it and I will give you clothing more befitting someone of your power. Those...things may be pleasing, but I find I would rather you leave that beautiful body to the imagination when they arrive.*  
  
"Why is my hip bleeding?" Kagome grimaced at the silence pounding heavily in her mind, forcing herself to speak in what she hoped was a whisper as she accepted his assistance and rose to her feet.  
  
Naraku steadied her gently, guiding her through a door that branched off from the bedroom, *The hanyou's blood is inside you and it is fighting with the human blood. He believes if he can force the blood out of you, he will be able to take his own back and force your death since Kikyou failed in her efforts. It is pushing it out of you around the mark.*  
  
Kagome's gaze dropped down to her hip, jolting when she saw the volume of blood soaking the side of her clothes. Her entire right side was soaked through, a trail of smeared footprints following her progress across the room, and drew her eyes to the once-white futon. "There's....there's so much! How could there be so much when I can't feel it!?" she took an unconscious step back as her face paled dramatically, clamping her hand over her hip in a futile effort to staunch the steady flow.  
  
Naraku steadied her with a palm pressed to the small of her back, *The hanyou is blocking your ability to feel the pain. He wants you to do yourself more damage without realizing it even as he weakens your blood. It is very fortunate that you are able to fortify yourself with the energy here and fight against him. However, that brings up a slight problem I fear I must discuss with you.*  
  
Kagome followed the direction of pressure against her back absently, peeling up the hem of her shirt to stare down at the tattoo. Her fists clenched in the bloodied fabric as she fought the sound of disgust and fright rising in her throat. The skin around the tattoo in a radius greater than both her hands was so darkly bruised it looked nearly black, but around that in a thin line it almost looked burned... That couldn't be right though, what would have burned her?  
  
The tattoo itself still looked the most disturbing. Instead of the vivid crimson it had seemed content to stay at previously, it had turned and angry mix of violet and black. Visibly throbbing with each pulse in time to her own heart, and each one making new blood rise along the lines of the tattoo and join the rest coating her skin.  
  
*Kagome.*  
  
"Inuyasha is doing...this?" she whispered in disbelief, her hand hovering hesitantly over the mark. How could he? Even if he really wanted her dead, how was he causing this to happen to her?  
  
*Kikyou has the magic, Kagome. Inuyasha has the connection.*  
  
Kikyou.  
  
Naraku shivered under a sudden wave of menace and looked down at the girl in surprise in time to see Kagome's eyes darken and change. The whites had still bled to that glowing crimson, but as Naraku watched, her irises returned solid black instead of her natural blue.  
  
Turning his face aside to hide his pleased smile, he continued to guide her to a low table set with a steaming bowl and several folded white cloths. At the rate she was going, he thought smugly, by the time Inuyasha made it to the castle, he wouldn't recognize Kagome for the changes the youkai blood was making to her appearance.  
  
Gently placing both hands on her shoulders, he pressed her into a seated position beside the table, *Undress so I can see to the blood. I have clothing for you to change into.*  
  
Kagome mechanically obeyed the direction, pulling her shirt up over her head and dropping it carelessly aside. As she eased out of her soaked jeans, her thoughts turned deeply inward and she lifted a hand to her heart, closing her eyes as she sought out link to Inuyasha. Could this all be a mistake? A trick dreamed up by Kikyou to make her think the worst of him? If it was, hadn't involving Naraku ruined that already?  
  
'Wait,' she shook her head a single time and scowled. Where had that thought come from? She didn't trust Naraku even a fraction of how she trusted Inu-  
  
"Ite!" Kagome hissed, falling forward at the sudden squeeze around her heart, tears springing to her eyes as her teeth sank into her lower lip. "Fuck, what was that?!" she reared up and demanded, her attention on Naraku as he sat across from her, a folded bundle in his hands.  
  
*You opened yourself to him, didn't you? Don't you believe us, Kagome? Naraku may not be trust-worthy, but I, Onigumo, have never betrayed you. Let me prove to you that I can love you more than that bastard hanyou ever could, miko. I would give my soul to protect you from Naraku and the hanyou.*  
  
Kagome blinked in surprise, looking up at Naraku's expressionless face as he set aside the clothes and dipped one of the clothes in the greenish water, 'Onigumo? But Naraku-'  
  
*Naraku is a pompous fool, Kagome. The only reason he knew I spoke to you was because I let him. I was afraid for your safety... with good reason, obviously.*  
  
'I'm...confused....' she lifted a hand to her head, slightly dizzy as Naraku began to brush the cloth over her skin, washing away the blood.  
  
*I know it seems confusing, but part of that is because of the fight the hanyou is forcing in your soul. There is an easy way to make things clear again, but it will require a great deal of help from you. You want an end to this pain, don't you? You want to find someone who will treat you as you deserve.*  
  
Kagome flinched when Naraku's hand passed over the tattoo, a strangled sound escaping as she fought a wave of nausea. After a moment, it passed as he moved his hand away and shifted closer, dipping the cloth back in the bowl, 'What exactly do you want my help with, Onigumo?'  
  
She felt him smile in her mind, *We'll just have to kill them both.*  
  
**  
  
Inuyasha's eyes snapped open, disoriented and confused for the two seconds it took for his consciousness to catch up with everything that had happened.  
  
His blinked several times, alarmed at his blurred vision, when they cleared rather abruptly and left him staring up at three concerned faces. He shot out from underneath them, his eyes wide as he gaped at them, finally shaking his head and swearing blackly, clutching his hand over his eyes, "Fucking goddamn sonsofbitches!"  
  
Sango and Miroku glanced at each other before Miroku cleared his throat and inquired in concern, "Inuyasha, are you all right?"  
  
"I know what Kagome meant when she said she was hearing voices," he growled out, his lip curling angrily.  
  
"You heard them?" Sango's brows rose in excited inquiry. "What did they say? Is Kagome-chan all right?"  
  
Inuyasha shook his head, turning north with his ears flicking forward and back as he answered, "They fucking cast the spell on her to 'help' me, except they didn't figure Kagome's miko powers into the spell, or that they somehow got hold of MY blood to make the damn tattoo!"  
  
"They?" Miroku frowned. "There is more than one?"  
  
"Your...blood?" Sango tilted her head to one side, frowning slightly in confusion as she asked before Inuyasha could answer the monk. "But how would someone from Kagome-chan's time get that?"  
  
"Look, I don't fucking know, okay?" he rounded on them, baring his fangs with a grunt of impatience. "Thanks to them, Kagome's in danger and I didn't have the time to get all the answers that I needed. Kagome's feeling things the way a youkai would and not a human and she's absorbing the energy around her. Naraku's going to kill her by being that close unless we get to her and I can make her balance with me instead."  
  
"What do we do?" Shippo had clambered close to the hanyou, tugging on the leg of his hakama and looking up with uncertain fear. "You can save her, right?"  
  
Inuyasha frowned grimly as he looked down at the baby youkai, "I have to get her away from him."  
  
"You can use the spell!" Shippo looked hopeful. "She's like you when she's subdued and she wouldn't be able to run!"  
  
Inuyasha leaned down a patted Shippo on the head, "Whatever it takes."  
  
"Which way, Inuyasha?" Sango was already pulling Miroku astride Kirara, not wanting a repeat of the hanyou's mode of travel.  
  
"North," he caught the kit by the tail and tossed him on his back. "If I'm right, he'll be waiting for us."  
  
"Right about what?" Miroku looked at the hanyou's solemn expression, his brows drawing together.  
  
"The voices said someone was watching, waiting for her to get out of range to put thoughts in her head," Inuyasha answered, glancing at them as he tensed to run. "This is just how he fucking planned it."  
  
**  
  
"Inuyasha must be the one to kill her, Naraku," Kikyou spoke in a flat voice, her eyes riveted to the image of the hanyou on the surface of Kanna's mirror. "I saw how you behaved with her when she arrived."  
  
Naraku smiled at the image before he dismissed the nearly colorless youkai absently and turned a disapproving scowl on the resurrected miko, "You are free to do whatever you'd like with the hanyou, Kikyou. I will do whatever I wish with this miko who can turn youkai."  
  
"That wasn't the plan," she frowned, her eyes narrowing. "She has to die."  
  
One finely sculpted brow arched in mocking understanding, "You're afraid of her."  
  
"I am not afraid of myself," Kikyou responded with stiff disdain. "She tried to steal Inuyasha, mated with him..."  
  
"You would never have known without me," he reminded, turning his face away from her to look in the direction of his rooms. "I did you a favor, miko, but my payment for assisting you is my choice. I will keep the girl."  
  
Kikyou's stoic mask was back in place as she shrugged and looked away, "She will purify you and then I will still kill her. Either way you will lose, Naraku."  
  
"Maybe you weren't paying attention," Naraku frowned in annoyance at her persistence. "Her human blood is being forced out of her. It will take time, but with the way she is adapting, I'm positive I can mute those powers and prevent myself from being purified. This miko will be corrupted once that blood is gone and I will have a powerful youkai to command."  
  
"You will not-"  
  
"You'd be wise to leave now, Kikyou," Naraku cut her off with a sideways look, rising to his feet and turning his back to her. "Kagome is volatile at best at the moment and if she catches sight of you, YOU will be the one purified today, not me. She will only trust me more for bringing you to her. Are you prepared to fight that fight, miko?"  
  
Kikyou's eyes narrowed, but after a moment, she turned on her heel and stalked out, "You will regret this, Naraku."  
  
Naraku ignored her, closing his eyes as he focused on the chaotic, but intense powers he was coming to associate with the younger miko. He waited patiently, moving to the shoji and sliding it to one side to look out over the desolate landscape surrounding his castle. Even when he heard her enter the room, he kept his gaze trained outside and waited for her to come to him.  
  
*Inuyasha and Kikyou are coming,* his eyes slid appreciatively over how her form filled out miko robes he'd given her even as he brought up a hand to slide along the ties of the black hakama contrasting with the stark white of the kimono.  
  
"I know," Kagome's eyes narrowed sharply as she reached up to toy with a loose strand of hair, the rest had been tied back in a high ponytail. "I can feel him moving closer."  
  
Naraku nodded, gesturing to his left where a bow and quiver of arrows had been left against the wall, *He will not be able to get close to you this time, Kagome. Are you ready?*  
  
Kagome's hand brushed her bandaged, throbbing hip and she nodded, "I do not intend to die."  
  
**  
  
Inuyasha came to a stop so quickly, Shippo went flying over her shoulder, barely saved from a painful trip to the ground by the hanyou's reflexes. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed sharply as Sango landed Kirara slightly behind him, sliding of the youkai and gripping Hiraikotsu's handle.  
  
"What is it?" she frowned, searching the forest ahead of them for what had made Inuyasha stop.  
  
Miroku gripped the sealing rosary, "Naraku is close... It's a trap."  
  
"He's not even fucking trying to hide himself," Inuyasha snarled, dropping Shippo to the ground to draw the Tetsusaiga.  
  
"There is no need," the low voice filtered through the trees moments before the familiar figure disguised in the baboon pelt came into view, perched casually on a high branch. "Not when this encounter promises to be so much fun on it's own," his lips curved in a cruel smile beneath the mask.  
  
"What the fuck have you done with Kagome?!" Inuyasha roared out, just barely restraining himself from rushing in and destroying anything that got in his way.  
  
Naraku smirked, laughing out loud as he shook his head at him, "So impatient. Even that beautiful miko you tried to spoil has better control than you."  
  
Inuyasha's eyes turned red so fast even Sango and Miroku backed away a step in reflex, but Naraku simply continued to smirk down him as Inuyasha hissed out, "You bastard. If you've touched her..."  
  
"I never thought once that she would develop so well over the past years," Naraku interrupted, lifting a hand to stroke it over his chin. "Not even your corpse can compare with her now, can she? The youkai blood left inside her is maturing, you know."  
  
Inuyasha let out a scream of sheer rage and shot forward, drawing his arm back to swing when the ground between him and Naraku suddenly exploded with such force it slammed not only the hanyou to the ground, but Sango and Miroku as well.  
  
He shot up quickly, shaking his head to clear the tingling vibration coursing through him from the amount of magic he'd run into even as he watched tensely for the others to right themselves as well.  
  
Miroku peered warily through the heavy dust cloud choking the air and removing any visibility to the woods around them. It would have been a perfect time to attack, except... except there was nothing, "I do not like this, Inuyasha. That magic... that wasn't evil like Naraku's magic."  
  
Naraku's chilling laughter filled the air around them again as the dust began to settle, giving them only outlines of the surroundings, "Today, Inuyasha... Today is the day that you finally die."  
  
Inuyasha squinted slightly in the direction of the attack, a deep growl rising in his throat when he saw the miko robes billowing in the faint breeze and the poised bow, "Kikyou."  
  
As she readied another arrow, the sound froze in his throat and his eyes slowly went wide. Kikyou's hakama was red... this archer's was black...  
  
The dust cleared away, leaving them the unobstructed view to the youkai aiming at them and wearing a miko's robes. Glowing scarlet eyes with black irises were narrowed on them with cold rage, and a pale stripe curving down at an angle from the center of each cheek down to the jawline. Dark, thick hair whipped about in the breeze from its up-swept style as she notched another arrow at them.  
  
"Once, hanyou, you stole a woman from me," Naraku taunted softly from his place in the trees.  
  
An archer that looked like a miko and felt like a youkai.  
  
"Now I have returned the favor," his lips curved in a deadly smile as he followed their stunned gazes to the figure radiating with deadly anger.  
  
Inuyasha's eyes filled with disbelieving pain as he whispered, "Kagome..." 


	43. Some instincts can't be changed.....

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Some instincts can't be changed.....  
  
"KAGOME!!" Inuyasha screamed out to her the moment he recognized the altered girl aiming at them from over twenty feet away. His heart clenched violently at the sight of her, her face set grimly as her eyes gleaming with unspoken threat. The voice said she couldn't be called any of the three races fighting in her blood, but the look of her and the FEEL....  
  
Naraku had turned his miko into a youkai.  
  
Laughing with dark pleasure at the myriad of emotions racing over the hanyou's face, Naraku jumping from his perch in the tree to stand in the midst of the destroyed ground. This was what he'd been longing to see in the hanyou's eyes, the pain and disbelieving shock as he looked at the miko he'd mated not two days earlier, "Save your breath, Inuyasha. There is absolutely nothing you can say to reach her now. Kagome is mine."  
  
Inuyasha's growl was feral as he clenched the Tetsusaiga so hard it wouldn't be surprising if the hilt had molded to the shape of his palm, "What the fuck did you do to her? You turned her into a youkai!"  
  
Naraku lifted a hand, and Kagura appeared at his side to make a flicking motion with her hand and bring the wind from behind Kagome to Inuyasha's senses. When the hanyou's eyes widened, then narrowed sharply as the growl gained dangerous volume, he smirked at them, "Do you smell blood perhaps, Inuyasha? Human blood?"  
  
"Your death can't possibly be painful enough to suit me," Inuyasha's eyes blazed, his teeth grinding together as he looked at Kagome again.  
  
"I had nothing to do with this," he shrugged casually. "Your blood inside her is what's forcing her human blood out of her, taking her over just a piece at a time. It just needed a little... encouragement."  
  
"It needed to feel like she was being killed," Inuyasha's lip curled.  
  
"Nothing so serious. All it needed was for me to touch her and it took over," Naraku gave him a mocking nod. "Such volatile blood, and so strong... But then this guardian of the Shikon jewel is the most powerful yet; she may even last another day or two before all traces of her humanity are destroyed."  
  
"You had this all planned out, didn't you? You knew Kikyou would be there with me! That Kagome would see and think-!" Inuyasha bit down on his lower lip hard, struggling against the intense rage rocking through him, urging him to lose control and take apart the man responsible for Kagome's pain.  
  
"Think you were toying with her for her body? Her resemblance to the dead? The thought had crossed my mind," he turned his face to regard the woman standing perfectly still, only the breeze playing with her clothing and hair to prove she was indeed alive and not some cold statue. "Humans are complicated creatures, Inuyasha, especially this one. Her mind is so used to the thought of you leaving her for the corpse that it was no small matter to revert her to those feelings when she is all ready so off balance adjusting to youkai emotion. As a matter of fact, it was easier because of how soon it was after you mated her."  
  
Another notch of Inuyasha's control slipped, and on the hill a faint shudder rolled through Kagome, bringing a frown to her face, 'What are they saying, Onigumo?'  
  
*Inuyasha has not recognized you. He believes you are a new offspring of Naraku, and Naraku is taunting him for his stupidity. I think Inuyasha is buying time for Kikyou to try something new.*  
  
'I don't feel her yet,' she closed her eyes briefly, inhaling to search with the youkai senses even as she felt for the aura with her miko powers.  
  
*Be alert, Kagome. We can kill the hanyou and his bitch, and then you will be able to purify Naraku and restore me. Then I will protect you and Shikon-no-Tama as you were meant to be protected. I will teach you to love me.*  
  
Naraku smiled at the way the hanyou began to pant, well aware of the struggle going on in his head. If he could push him over the edge, that would spark the same kind of reaction in Kagome and make it that much more difficult for the hanyou to get close, "I must thank you for being so closely connected to her though. If not for the way she guarded your blood inside her I might never have been able to move myself into her so completely. Although I will be a better lover... You leave so many bruises it's a wonder she can stomach your touch at all."  
  
Inuyasha's control snapped.  
  
"You fucking BASTARD!!" Inuyasha shot forward even as Naraku leapt away and lifted a hand to summon a swarm of his youkai to meet the attack. Inuyasha didn't even break stride tearing through one after another, using his claws if they came too close as he pressed towards Naraku's position. He didn't even acknowledge Sango and Miroku fighting behind him, doing their best to keep the youkai from surrounding Inuyasha as they defended themselves.  
  
Miroku looked grimly at the horde, concerned that they seemed content to dash in and out rather than trying to overwhelm them with their numbers. Naraku still had something planned and Inuyasha was too enraged to see it. His hand closed over the sealing rosary even as he hoped the plan didn't include any of the Saimyoushou. He could at least try to clear the youkai coming from the side without risking Inuyasha or Sango, "Air Rip!"  
  
Amazingly enough, for a long moment there was no sign of the wasps and Miroku let out a sigh of relief as he continued to pull in all the youkai he could manage. The Saimyoushou appeared so abruptly that he let out a shout even as he rushed to seal his hand, but they were close enough that he knew he wouldn't be able to prevent absorbing at least a few of them.  
  
A blast of purifying energy dissolved the youkai in front of his hand just before Miroku sealed it, preventing the wasps from reaching their goal even as the fighting momentarily paused in shock. Miroku closed his gaping mouth; his eyes wide as he looked at the arrow embedded in the ground in front of him up to where Kagome stood notching another arrow.  
  
"K-Kagome-sama?!" Miroku gasped out, his eyes lighting up with a mix of confusion and excitement. "She protected me?"  
  
'Remind Naraku that my friends are NOT to be hurt, Onigumo,' Kagome turned his disapproving frown to Naraku, waiting until he gave her a slight bow of apologetic acknowledgment. 'They had nothing to do with the spell or with Kikyou and I will not make them suffer for it.'  
  
*I told you that Naraku could not be trusted, Kagome,* Onigumo said softly. *It is a lucky thing that you have become such a proficient archer.*  
  
Inuyasha's brows narrowed in speculation as he calmed enough to defend against the renewed onslaught, trying to figure out what had just happened. 'Kagome,' he cast her a quick glance, watching her stand poised with her glowing eyes sweeping over the fight. 'It's still her? It has to be like the last times that she was overwhelmed! She's still herself, aware of all this then, but he's in her head and she... she doesn't realize it isn't her own thoughts!'  
  
"Kagome! Don't listen to the voice in your head! It's a trick, you have to fight it!" he roared at her, abruptly reversing the direction of his attack to move towards her.  
  
Naraku slid around to place himself between the hanyou and the miko, the bizarre tentacles ripping out from beneath the baboon pelt and forcing him to leap away or get impaled, "I told you, Inuyasha. It's pointless for you to try and call for her. Her pain, your rage, my hatred... She doesn't even realize how strongly she pulls off you and I, fighting our battle in her head, letting our emotions dictate her responses."  
  
Sango set her jaw as she watched Inuyasha defend against Naraku, catching her boomerang on its return trip, "He's trying to get Inuyasha to attack him instead of attempt to reach Kagome-chan."  
  
"Inuyasha is likely the only one with the ability to restore her," he nodded grimly, looking from her still form to Inuyasha. "Sango, I am going to test something... be prepared in case I am mistaken."  
  
Sango barely had time to turn when Miroku made as though to swing the staff, but twisted at the last moment with a determined expression to put himself directly in the swing on the youkai he was fighting. "HOUSHI- SAMA!?" she whirled already bringing the Hiraikotsu around to slice the youkai in half when it promptly exploded, taking a wide circle of the surrounding force with it.  
  
Sango grabbed his arm in a bruising grip and yanked him backwards, her heart pounding madly as she hissed out, "What the hell are you doing!?"  
  
Miroku's gaze, however, was on Kagome as she reached over her shoulder and strung another arrow in a smooth motion, "Kagome-sama IS protecting us. Sango, the youkai are just a distraction for us, that is why they aren't attacking seriously! They are only after Inuyasha!"  
  
Naraku barely gave them a glance as he clashed with the hanyou, pulling Kagome's own energy back into him to weaken the force of the attacks. Inuyasha knew he was fighting against Naraku, but his soul would sense Kagome's power and hold back...  
  
"Face it, Inuyasha," Naraku smiled as he connected a strike, gouging a deep gash along the hanyou's shoulder. "This time I have won. Soon I will be connected with Kagome deeper than you could possibly imagine and you will have nothing but a corpse in hell. I have the stronger miko now, and I will make her love me as she would never love a half-breed like you."  
  
He grinned in triumph when the aura around Inuyasha flared wildly and in response the smell of blood from Kagome grew stronger. Just a little more and it wouldn't take more than a few hours to purge the last of human blood from her system. The shards of the Shikon-no-Tama pulsed against his skin, bringing him the echo of Kagome's tangled emotions, and he casually lifted a hand to stroke over the jewel.  
  
Inuyasha leapt forward only to have Naraku lash out with more of the tentacles, wrapping them around his arms and legs as he turned and slammed his body into the trees with crushing force. Inuyasha gritted his teeth hard against the pain the shot through him when he came to a stop, pinned against the massive trunk of a tree. Forcing his eyes to open and focus on Naraku's gloating smile, he snarled out, "How the fuck did you get in her head?!"  
  
Naraku's grin had a feral edge as he tightened his hold, watching the strain on the hanyou's face, "It really was disgustingly simple, Inuyasha." He slid the large chunk of the Shikon jewel from his pelt and held it up admiringly, "Did you know the kind of connection that girl has with this jewel? If I had known how she came to have it in the first place, I would have taken her from you long ago."  
  
"Why you-!" Inuyasha's eyes narrowed, but he was cut off by yet another tightening of the tentacles.  
  
"The Shikon-no-Tama searches for her aura," he continued as if Inuyasha had never spoken. "Being so close to each other relaxes them, soothes their auras for lack of a better way to say it. Kagome feels the Shikon's power and pulls it to her, and the jewel gives its power to her easily. They recognize the feel, so that if someone was to slide their own power into the jewel..."  
  
Inuyasha's mouth slowly fell open, his gaze going from the jewel to Naraku and then to where he could barely see Kagome watching over them with a hard expression, "You fucking tricked her into thinking it's the damn jewel inside her?!"  
  
"The jewel's magic at least," Naraku turned a warm gaze to the girl as well, bringing a new wash of anger through the hanyou. "She is so accustomed to the feel of the jewel's magic she barely fought it at all. I doubt she would have stayed close at all had I not had this calming her soul as I sent my powers inside her," he held the jewel between his thumb and forefinger with a narrow smile.  
  
Kagome felt something pull at the leg of her hakama and frowned, stoically ignoring it as she watched the dark stains spread along Inuyasha's kimono. Her hands tightened on her bow as she fought the urge to send an arrow into Naraku. Was she some kind of twisted masochist that she kept wanting to go back to Inuyasha for more of the same pain? The same rejection she'd had day after day since they met? Even the mating had been a lie, him taking advantage of how she felt to satisfy his desire for Kikyou.  
  
She shook her head in confusion, 'That didn't feel like me...'  
  
There was an odd pressure against her leg, like a pinch and she dimly wondered what exactly could have caused that sensation, glancing down briefly and going still when her glowing eyes met with huge, watery blue.  
  
Unnoticed to the combatants, Shippo had taken one look at Kagome on the rise and gone running after her. He'd waited until everyone down below seemed distracted and crept up to her, uncertain with the waves of tangled energy pouring off her, and called her name. When there was no response, not even a flicker of showing she'd heard him at all, he sneaked closer and tried again...and again. His sneaking carried him directly to her feet and he'd gazed up in alarmed horror than Kagome showed not even one sign of noticing. What could Naraku have done to her to she wouldn't look at even him? She'd protected Miroku twice and didn't he mean more to her than the lecherous monk?  
  
Determined to get her attention, he tugged at the black hakama and called her name louder. That time she'd frowned, but still her gaze had stayed riveted on the scene below. Desperate for a reaction, he'd whispered an apology even as he leaned down and sank his little teeth into her exposed ankle. He sprang back when he felt the skin break, tears spilling down his cheeks at the thought that he'd made her bleed, but his eyes went huge when she didn't even flinch.  
  
After a moment, though, she turned her gaze down and met his, melting from annoyance into shock before she spoke, "Shippo-chan?!"  
  
His lip quivered and he flung himself at her stomach, making her gasp in surprise as she dropped her bow, the arrow snapping awkwardly at the sudden gesture and gouging a cut along her forearm.  
  
Shippo felt her arm close around him and hold him close and he opened his eyes to look at the deep wound on her other arm, "Kagome!! You're arm!"  
  
When she said nothing, he looked up at her again, his brows scrunched together, as he studied her face. Kagome was looking at him, but he saw something flash behind her eyes and her lips compressed.  
  
*Fuck, Kagome, don't let that brat distract you now! We must be ready to purify Inuyasha and Naraku!*  
  
'Shippo needs to be protected, Onigumo,' she responded, her brows lowering as she instinctively pressed the kit close and turned her head to glare down at where Naraku had yanked Inuyasha away from the tree.  
  
One of the tentacles punched through Inuyasha's stomach and she flinched, her eyes going suspiciously glassy for a moment before the power around her fluctuated again and her expression hardened. This was what Inuyasha deserved after all...  
  
Shippo was calling her name again, confused that she didn't even pat him on the head like she usually did if she was distracted. He was about to tug on her robes again when her head turned to the side and he tensed, giving out a shriek of surprise.  
  
There was a little black disk over Kagome's ear, not large enough to draw much attention, but covering enough that he could reason out her unresponsiveness with their presence. Certain he could help, he twisted in her arms and screamed out across the distance, "Inuyashaaa!!!! Kagome CAN'T hear us!! She has things over her ears!!!"  
  
*Damn it all to hell, Kagome, can't you shut that kit up before he ruins everything?!* Onigumo screamed in her mind when the combatants again froze and turned to look in their direction.  
  
Inuyasha froze when he heard Shippo's yell, his eyes lighting with comprehension as he watched Naraku's lips turn down sharply, his gaze turned to focus on the kitsune in her arms. Gathering his returning anger, he growled out low and dangerous, "So that's how you're fucking keeping me out!"  
  
Naraku turned back to him, his voice colored with irritation, "It does not matter that you know, Inuyasha. In another moment you'll be dead and I will take control of her completely."  
  
Two more of the pointed tentacles shot out, one spearing the hanyou's shoulder and the other ramming through the other side of his stomach. When Inuyasha let out a violent scream of pain, he yanked the hanyou close enough to see his own scarlet eyes burning in the depths of shadows beneath the head of his pelt, "Kagome will be in my bed before sunset."  
  
Naraku flung the tentacles upwards before bringing them down to slam the hanyou into the ground so hard a tremble rocked through the area. Sango and Miroku stumbled to their knees as a new cloud of dust and debris filled the air, their eyes wide with mutual horror.  
  
Shippo let out a gasp when Kagome dropped to one knee, pressing a hand hard over her heart as her head bowed and her lips pulled back in a snarl. "N...No way! Inuyasha can't...?"  
  
Naraku stepped back to where Kagura stood in the trees, a silent observer to the carefully orchestrated battle. His eyes slid to where Kagome was shuddering violently, her arm falling away from the kit as her hands rose to clench against the sides of her head.  
  
"Have you finally succeeded then?" Kagura asked with a bland calmness she was far from feeling, lifting her hand to clear away the dust obstructing their view of the hanyou.  
  
Naraku closed his hand on the Shikon shard, his answer cut off abruptly when he felt a shift in the power flowing through it. His own lips pulling back in an uncharacteristic snarl, he looked at the crumbled earth with the rusty katana embedded deeply in the upset dirt.  
  
The ground shifted as a clawed hand broke free to close around the hilt, yanking it free and transforming it in the staggering wave of energy that rocked the air around them. Inuyasha rolled to his feet in a fluid motion, almost as though he felt nothing from numerous wounds he'd gained moments ago.  
  
Shippo clung to Kagome's leg, begging and pleading for reassurance as her shoulders slumped and she pulled her hands away from her head to catch herself before she fell face-first to the ground.  
  
His eyes widened and he backed away slowly when he saw her hands, 'Claws?!"  
  
Inuyasha lifted his head as he raised the Tetsusaiga, startling Naraku with the murderous chill in the glowing crimson and blue eyes. His lips twisted back off elongated fangs in an arrogant smirk filled with dark promise, "You'll fucking regret letting those words ever cross your lips, Naraku..." 


	44. A sense of madness.....

Turnabout is Fair Play: A sense of madness....  
  
Everything was buzzing.  
  
Kagome clenched her fists over her ears, a small whimper escaping her as she tried to curl in on herself and block out the sudden return of sound, much louder than everything she could recall ever experiencing. Underneath the nearly deafening pounding of her heartbeat in her own ears, she could make out unidentifiable crashes, roars and metallic clangs. More disturbing was the echo of a man screaming angrily deep beneath all of that, the sound inside her head rather than reaching her ears like all the others. She cringed when each new throb of noise sent pain shuddering through her already battered body.  
  
She couldn't make out the words the man was screaming, but her brows slowly drew together when she tried to focus on the feelings radiating from it instead. When all she could distinguish was frustrated anger and a sort of disjointed hatred, her confusion grew. Why was that man angry? And where was she? She could vaguely remember a strange feeling of power moving through her, making her entire body tingle and making it impossible for her to access her own memory. Like her thoughts were being blocked. Something was wrong with her mind, she knew it.  
  
She just didn't know what it was.  
  
Kagome could feel herself being pulled in two directions, and with every pull her thoughts were losing their clarity. The more she lost her hold on her own mind, the stronger her instincts rose to take over. She let her eyes open a bare slit, looking down at Shippo's pale face and teary eyes when a wave of menace swept from the screaming voice towards the little kitsune and took her by surprise.  
  
Kagome's lips pulled back in a snarl and she swept him protectively to her chest, instinctively throwing up violent barriers against the source of the threat towards her little kit. 'I...I should know him... Why don't I know who this is? I know I should!' her hands tightened on him, instincts growing even stronger with her confusion and pushing violently against the cause of her distress.  
  
Both Inuyasha and Naraku let out a grunt of surprise, Naraku staggering back away from the source of the intense magic even as Inuyasha straightened his stance, his gaze drawn to Kagome in alarm. His eyes narrowed when he found the white fuzzy ears near the top of her head in stark contrast with her black hair, flattened to her skull as though the noises reaching them were painful to her. She had Shippo clutched tightly in her arms, her fangs bared in unspoken threat to something that he couldn't see.  
  
She looked like a hanyou again... but she still felt like a youkai and he didn't feel human, so how had she changed?  
  
He glanced down at himself in mild surprise even as his senses made him aware of his own unexpected transformation. He was in his youkai form, a full youkai, but unlike the last time, he was still in control of himself. There was no unreasonable urge to tear anything and everything to bits, no mindless rage threatening to split his head apart, just a steady confident pulse of power. He was disturbingly calm. Although...  
  
Inuyasha looked at the transformed Tetsusaiga pulsing strongly in his fist, up to Naraku's strained expression, and then to Kagome's taut form. He could feel the barriers, intense magic sweeping through him, unconsciously latching onto his familiar blood even as it drove Naraku back several steps. Kagome was suddenly blocking out everything around her, and the more she blocked, the stronger her heartbeat became in his ears. Naraku's own barriers around her were dissolving and he could feel himself relax slightly when the smell of her blood stopped increasing. She might not be balancing yet, but their link was starting to recover.  
  
He shot Naraku a triumphant grin and growled out, "She's got my ears now, Naraku. Whatever you were using to block her out is worthless. So now how do you intend to keep me out of her head?"  
  
Naraku pulled back in a long sweeping motion as he pressed his hand over the Shikon-no-Tama, gritting his teeth in alarm, 'She's.started purifying the energy inside herself, and it. turned Inuyasha into a youkai?!'  
  
"Damn that fox brat," he shot the kitsune a fierce scowl even as he rose to his feet again and faced Inuyasha. "It makes no difference, Inuyasha. She is still unbalanced, and Kagome would come for the jewel before she came for you like this. She knows the hanyou, not the youkai."  
  
Inuyasha's smile altered slightly into smug arrogance and he made a sound very much like a growling bark. Naraku's lips tightened when Kagome's head snapped up and focused on Inuyasha, her ears twisted towards him as the glassy look in her eyes cleared slightly. Shippo twisted slightly to glance at him from the corner of his eye when he heard the unmistakable command, his hands tightening in Kagome's kimono and urging her to hold him closer even as he let out a little yip in answer.  
  
"She knows her mate, Naraku, hanyou or youkai," Inuyasha's voice lowered to a deadly hiss. "And you'll know it too before I kill you."  
  
Miroku stumbled back in alarm when Inuyasha shot forward, slicing through the tentacles that had previously held him captive and slamming into Naraku with every bit of strength he was capable of producing. His dark eyes, however, were locked onto Inuyasha's face, moving over the double stripes angled up his cheeks and the glowing scarlet and blue eyes, "Oh hell."  
  
Sango turned to see what had captured the monk's attention and sucked in a sharp breath, "B-but the sword! Inuyasha shouldn't turn to his youkai form with the Tetsusaiga!"  
  
Miroku turned to watch Kagome as she took one arm from around Shippo and shakily rose to her feet, but it was the fuzzy ears twitching this way and that through her hair that had his eyes light with understanding. "Look at Kagome-sama, like when he fought before and it spilled over to her. He's in control of the blood this time?" his hand tightened on his staff as he watched the youkai around them stir.  
  
"Something about that spell?" Sango looked warily around them as well as the youkai shook off the daze caused by Inuyasha's explosion of energy.  
  
Miroku's lips quirked in a dry smile as he took a defensive position, "Sango, your guess is as good as my own at this point."  
  
Kagome heard the demand clearly, this one cutting through all the other sounds to reach her ears and run through her blood in an insistant demand for attention and obedience. This one was different from the screaming in her head, the painful ache and throb dulling at the feel of it, soothing her chaotic senses. It was impossible to ignore, commanding obedience even as she shook her head in an effort to clear her hazy thoughts.  
  
The sound faded and she snapped her head up, clutching Shippo protectively as her eyes found the youkai standing in profile to her. The sight of him brought a frown to her face and she tilted her head to one side to watch as he spoke with another creature wrapped in white pelt of some sort. She should recognize them, shouldn't she? Especially that inu youkai. something about him drew her closer, made her feel calm, but why?  
  
"Okaa-san?" Shippo tugged at her nervously, drawing her gaze down to him in surprise.  
  
'Okaa-san?' Kagome's brows drew together in confusion and she lifted a hand to Shippo's cheek to brush off the fresh tears. 'I'm his mother? What happened that I don't remember being a mother?!'  
  
A glimmer of recognition went through her the longer she stared down at the kit, oblivious to the sounds of battle crashing in the background. Shippo, this was Shippo. She protected him for years, and he said she was his mother. Kagome latched onto that thought, determined to have at least one portion of clarity through her disorientation. Until her head cleared of that hideous screaming and the pain and haze, she would settle for what her real instincts were telling her, and they were telling her to protect the kitsune no matter what.  
  
That man, the one screaming in her head and making it pound was threatening the kitsune child, and she forcefully pushed against the presence in her mind. The more she pushed, the more she felt the other one trying to seep into her, but she stubbornly resisted that call as well. Her mind was trying to clear in slow degrees as she became aware of the pain humming through her body, and if the first had fogged her thoughts to this extent, no telling what that second presence would do. Better to keep them both at bay until she could think straight and protect Shippo.  
  
"Shh, it's okay, Shippo-chan," she soothed, stroking a hand over his head.  
  
Shippo blinked rapidly, his eyes widening as they searched her scarlet gaze, "You're. you're okay? You're you?"  
  
She frowned, not understanding what he was asking, but she still sought to comfort him, "I'll be fine. Don't worry, I'll protect you."  
  
Inuyasha felt a jolt run through him, Kagome's emotions starting to untangle as he blasted through another wave of Naraku's youkai. His narrowed gaze slid to where Kagome had risen to her feet, her face set with determination as she watched them fight, but her eyes were glassy again, glowing scarlet without a hint of recognition. Inuyasha swore beneath his breath, 'So that's why I'm not fighting my own instincts like that. They all fucking went into Kagome!'  
  
He was wary, confused at the way Naraku kept retreating while Kagura sat by and watched expressionlessly. He could see the lines of strain on Naraku's face every time he got close, and it seemed to become more severe with each pulse and shift of the aura surrounding Kagome.  
  
Naraku sent Kagura a sharp glare, "Get her out of here!"  
  
Inuyasha's rage sparked all over again and he let out an enraged roar as he released another blast of the Cutting Wind, "Stay the fuck away from Kagome, you bastard!!"  
  
Kagura leapt out of the way as the long furrows tore through the ground under the force of his swing, landing close to Kagome and sending her a nervous glance as Naraku lashed out at the hanyou-gone-youkai again. She was starting to highly regret getting involved with this. A human and a hanyou turning youkai and vibrating with unreal powers; the Shikon miko not more than a few feet away with her own miko skills mature and well and quite possibly about to purify the jewel using only her connection through Naraku's energy.  
  
"Kagome, we must leave," Kagura reached out for her, a chill going through her when Inuyasha's narrowed gaze found her beside his mate. "Come before he attacks us!"  
  
Kagome's hand snapped out and caught the wind youkai's wrist, the touch nearly crushing and sending Kagura to her knees as her own energy was almost violently drained away. Her lips pulled back in a snarl as she yanked Kagura forward and demanded, "You are with that man in my head?"  
  
Kagura caught herself awkwardly with her free hand, the blood draining from her face as she cast Naraku a desperate look, but Naraku had his hands full defending against Inuyasha's enraged assault, "Hai, Kagome. I am with the man in your head. We must go!"  
  
Kagome let out a soft growl that Shippo instantly obeyed, vanishing down the front of her kimono to leave her hands free as she turned to fully face the youkai, "That is unfortunate for you. He makes my head hurt and threatened my son."  
  
Inuyasha heard the high-pitched scream of pain and spun, expecting to see Kagura attacking Kagome. He fell back a step in involuntary surprise to see Kagome holding the wind youkai aloft with one hand, the other covered in blood. Kagome snarled, slamming Kagura into the ground forcefully enough that it cracked beneath her. The air around them sparked madly as the purifying energy inside her revived and attacked Naraku's aura.  
  
Inuyasha set his jaw, glaring as he fought to take back some of his rage and prevent Kagome from hurting herself. Her eyes locked onto his when she felt him trying to pull his emotions away from her and with a growl, she released Kagura and leapt back to avoid his attempts. Her eyes darkened as she swept her aura out in a wide arch to wrap it tightly with the rage feeding her strength, and he swore at the dark look in her eyes. Kagome didn't want to balance. She felt threatened and she could sense her best defense was in his blood, so she refused to let it return to its real owner.  
  
"Dammit," he shot out of the way as Naraku shattered the ground he'd been presently occupying. 'Physical contact. That fucking voice said it would take contact to snap her out of it this time. I have to get to her before she kills herself.'  
  
Frustrated and even more enraged that he couldn't take the time to rip into Naraku the way he wanted to, he spun around, bringing the Tetsusaiga up even as he focused the attack, "Kaze no Kizu!"  
  
Miasma exploded from where Naraku had been waiting even as he dodged to the side, sliding around to put himself behind Kagome. "This isn't finished, Inuyasha," he slid his arm tightly around Kagome's waist and brought her up against him.  
  
Inuyasha had barely taken the breath to scream again when Naraku was flung away from her, barely righting himself as he stared at the girl turned in profile between Inuyasha and himself. Her clawed hand came up to protectively pat the kitsune peeking out the top of her robes as her eyes narrowed dangerously.  
  
"Don't fucking touch me or my son!" Kagome growled out, holding out her hands as she gathered her powers. "You goddamn sonofabitch!"  
  
'Fuck, just how confused is she?!' Inuyasha gaped at Shippo's delighted face to the rage on Kagome's. "Kagome! Come here!" he barked out when he saw Naraku tensing in reaction to her aura flaring.  
  
"Stay out of this, youkai," she snapped back, abruptly tensing as she flung her hands out towards Naraku. "And you! Get out of my head, dammit!"  
  
Inuyasha took full advantage of Naraku's attempt to dodge Kagome's purifying energy, leaping into the path he tried to take and brought the Tetsusaiga around to catch him deeply from shoulder to hip. Naraku let out a bellow of outrage and twisted to the side, right in the path of Kagome's claws.  
  
Encouraged by her attack, Inuyasha reached out to try and catch her around the waist, but Kagome twisted with remarkable agility and back- kicked him in the gut hard enough to stagger him. They both ducked as Naraku lashed out with his tentacles, Inuyasha coming back up with his sword as Kagome's rolled forward and caught hold of Naraku's side. Steam hissed from where she touched and Naraku jerked away violently, his hand hovering over the melted pelt and scorched flesh beneath.  
  
Miroku blinked in surprise when the were no new attacks, turning until he found the three "youkai" fighting almost where Kagome had been originally standing. Kagura lay motionless, pale, and bloody in a portion of crushed ground. He could feel Sango at his side, watching tensely as Inuyasha made another grab for Kagome only to have the girl dodge and attack him before refocusing her efforts on the weakening Naraku.  
  
"It's.almost like that fight with Kouga," Sango shook her head as she watched Kagome dodge a blast of miasma while Inuyasha nearly severed Naraku's outstretched arm.  
  
Miroku frowned, "No. Kagome-sama is fighting wild, trying to keep them both away from her. She's even attacking Inuyasha."  
  
Feeling a bit dizzy watching the three-way fight, Sango glanced up at the monk's face to gauge his reaction to what they were seeing, "This can't continue, Houshi-sama."  
  
"I don't believe there's anything we can do to help," he set his jaw and tried to follow the confusing match, with Inuyasha and Naraku alternately attacking each other and trying to catch hold of Kagome while she in turn fought to keep them both away from her. None of them were in the same place long enough for them to effectively join the fight without risking injury to their friends.  
  
Inuyasha snarled when Kagome slid around behind him, sweeping his legs out from under him and sending him to the ground, "Fuck this! Kagome, stay!"  
  
Kagome shrieked in outrage when she dropped to the ground, while Inuyasha flipped back to his feet, "You youkai bastard!"  
  
Naraku's mouth tightened when he felt a new flash of weakness chase through him, reaching beneath his pelt to touch the Shikon jewel in an effort to draw out more power. His hand froze when his flesh met the warm surface, the tainted feel of the jewel diminishing with every echoed beat of Kagome's heart.  
  
'Damn, she's purifying the jewel without touching it?! She's using the link I made to reach it!' he looked down at Kagome and then to Inuyasha as he drew back, his own aura humming in preparation for his attack. 'If I don't get away from her, her soul's going to rip me apart!'  
  
"This is your fucking end, Naraku!" Inuyasha's eyes blazed as he brought the Tetsusaiga around, the air thickening with the gathering strength of the sword.  
  
Naraku took one look at Kagome struggling against the immobility of the subduing spell and shot a blast of miasma towards the girl. Inuyasha let out a shout of denial, the maneuver only half completed as he reversed his forward motion to shield Kagome's vulnerable position.  
  
Kagome's gaze snapped up to the youkai who'd just jumped in front of her, her brows furrowing in confusion until she sensed the miasma coming from the other one. Her eyes widened in surprise when she caught the determined look on his face, 'He's saving me?! That idiot youkai! That stuff will kill him!'  
  
Inuyasha gritted his teeth when the first of the miasma hit him, the force pushing him backwards as a sickening hiss filled the air. Kagome felt the pain roil through her when it hit him and reflexively, she rocked forward to bring her to her knees and grabbed the back of his haori.  
  
Kagome closed her eyes, sending a rush of her miko powers through him to neutralize Naraku's poison before it could fully engulf them both. Inuyasha's eyes went huge when he felt the dizzying surge of magic, the blade of the Tetsusaiga turning deep blue a split second before the air around them exploded in a whirlwind of their combined energy.  
  
"Kagura's power?!" Miroku's eyes widened when the ribbons of energy swept out, ripping up the ground as it spiraled towards the startled Naraku.  
  
Kagome paid no attention to the effects of the magic, her arms moving to his waist when he stumbled, "Don't faint on me, youkai. You still have to tell me why you jumped in between us like that."  
  
Inuyasha looked back at her in surprise, one hand releasing the Tetsusaiga to reach back and loop it around her waist, "Kagome-!"  
  
She went stiff under his touch, her claws tensing against him, "That wasn't a damn invitation, youkai."  
  
"Dammit, bitch, will you snap out of it!?" he snarled, yanking her off her feet to bring her crashing up against him. "Ignore whatever the fuck that voice is saying to you and start listening to me!"  
  
Kagome hissed, bringing her elbow into his stomach and throwing him off her. At the abrupt break of contact, the spiraling magic sparked and slowly faded, but Naraku and Kagura were nowhere to be seen amongst the melted landscape. Inuyasha swore violently, twisting about in an effort to sense where he'd gone, but everything was smothered under that heavy smell of miasma.  
  
His ears snapped back when he heard Kagome move, slamming the Tetsusaiga back into its sheath as he faced her, "Freeze."  
  
"How do you know about the voice?" Kagome demanded sharply, her body taut and ready to fight or flee to get away long enough to clear her head. She could still hear that screaming voice, and it was keeping her from remembering anything with any clarity while the painful haze was starting to really piss her off. And now this inu youkai knew about it? Was it him?  
  
It was more annoying that just looking at him made her feel more relaxed. Something about him that was familiar and soothing, making her want to trust him. She shook her head, scowling at him as her ears flattened back, trying to figure out why she felt that way.  
  
Inuyasha held out a hand to her, "You told me about him last time, Kagome, but we have to get him out of your head so we can heal you. You've been bleeding too much again."  
  
Kagome automatically started to reach for him, stopping herself abruptly and backing away with a growl, "Who are you, youkai? Why did you help me?"  
  
Inuyasha was getting impatient, sliding down into a crouch as he watched her, waiting for a distraction so he could catch hold of her, "You're my mate, Kagome, you'll do as I say. Now come here."  
  
Kagome's eyes narrowed sharply, his frustration and temper sparking her own again as she wrapped her arm protectively around Shippo, "You're lying."  
  
"We don't have fucking time for you to remember the hard way!" Inuyasha snarled and leapt at her, barely missing as she dove out of the way and rolled to face him.  
  
Shippo poked his head out of her kimono and looked from Inuyasha's annoyed expression to Kagome's determined one. Worried, he reached up and tugged on her hair to get her attention before he turned to the bristling hanyou/youkai, "Inuyasha? Are.are you okay?"  
  
"Inuyasha?" Kagome frowned when a jolt went through her hearing the name, and she lifted her hand to her head. This was all so ridiculously confusing that she just wanted to get away from all of them, "What the hell is wrong with my head?"  
  
Inuyasha grunted, shaking his head at her behavior, 'Anyone but me. Couldn't that damn spell make her act like anyone else but me?'  
  
"Kagome-sama!" Miroku had positioned himself behind the changed girl, reaching out in an effort to either shake her out of what Naraku had done or give Inuyasha a chance to get hold of her.  
  
Kagome let out a shout of surprise and shot away from the newcomer, ducking past Inuyasha as she tensed in preparation to run. Inuyasha set his jaw and barked out again, "Stay!"  
  
He let out a heavy sigh, looking down at her as she struggled against the spell. It was sign enough of how confused she was that she didn't shout back at him, but so long as it worked to his advantage he wasn't going to complain. This would at least keep her still so he could make contact.  
  
Inuyasha crouched down in front of her and reached for her chin. When she jerked out of the way, he flashed his teeth at her with a sharp growl that had her instinctively freezing long enough for him to cup his hand beneath her chin, "C'mon, you stubborn little bitch. Don't make me fight with you until you're normal again. It's only fun when you fight back."  
  
She went still the moment his skin touched hers, her mouth falling open and her eyes glazing over when a rush of heat shot through her heart. Inuyasha's brows drew together in response, lifting his other hand to cup her cheeks as he felt the twinge of the spell come to life in the back of his mind. He was alarmed the emotions running through her head, and the strength of his blood as it insistently pushed against him in an effort to keep him out. The voices had been right, she was seeing everything as a threat with her mind like this, even him.  
  
No wonder Kagome was so confused, he thought grimly, reaching out to wrap his arms around her and drag her up into his lap, nearly flattening Shippo in between them. Her blood was all but beaten into dormancy inside her, surrounded so completely by his own in what he could only guess was an effort to protect it from the threats it felt to her soul. Unfortunately, with his blood so strong in her, she was wrapped almost completely in his echoed emotions, her thoughts overwhelmed and subdued by his instincts.  
  
Turning youkai himself couldn't have helped her balance either, only making his blood that much stronger inside her. Although, he couldn't feel any traces of Naraku, so perhaps it had been a good thing after all? As long as he could calm her down and soothe the youkai emotions to bring her own mind back into dominance, he'd be more than satisfied. He just hoped she hadn't suffered anything permanent.  
  
"Calm down, koi," Inuyasha reached up, rubbing her ears and smiling when she leaned into him apparently against her own will if her annoyed growl was any indication. "That's it. Just relax and let me take all this mess back to me. Let me handle it so you can rest," he urged gently, shooting Sango and Miroku a speaking glare to search for any hints of Naraku's presence.  
  
Kagome shuddered, arching in an effort to get away when she felt her strength draining away from her, but as it faded, more of the haze fell away. Blinking rapidly as the scarlet glow began to fade, she looked at the tense expression on the youkai holding her. She knew him, didn't she? This was- "Inu.yasha?"  
  
Inuyasha had barely opened his mouth to respond when a faint twang reached his ears, his attention snapping around just as he felt Kagome tense and move in his lap. His brows rose sharply when he found himself staring at the tip of an arrow not more than an inch from his face.  
  
His eyes numbly found the clawed hand wrapped around the middle of the shaft, moving down to Kagome's own startled expression, her eyes on the arrow before they turned in the direction of the attack. Inuyasha's ears flattened back as his own gaze narrowed and raised, but he already knew who he'd be looking for.  
  
His arms tightened protectively around Kagome as he rose to his feet, the growl starting low and menacing in his chest, "Kikyou." 


	45. One on one....

Turnabout is Fair Play: One on one....  
  
Kagome stared at the arrow in her hand blankly, even more shocked at her actions than Inuyasha. One minute she was struggling with the inu youkai, fighting against the warmth that was seeping into her mind and making her aware of the exhaustion and pain humming through her blood. And she didn't want to feel that, she wanted the strength and rage making it easy for her fight against all these youkai threatening her and Shippo.  
  
But then the next minute she'd felt the rush of hate and magic slicing through the air towards him.  
  
It had been purely instinct. Her mind screaming with violent denial at the thought of this youkai coming to any harm. Especially from the source of the aura that had touched her awareness. She had been lifting her hand even as she felt him tense, turning too late to dodge the attack himself when all of his energies were focused on herself. She caught the weapon barely a breath away from its target, the magic that surrounded the arrow instantly soaking into her at the contact.  
  
There had been a jolt of recognition at the feel of that magic, and she turned to see a woman in scarlet and white miko robes glaring at her with cold, but slightly wary eyes. Something about that miko was seriously wrong, and her hackles rose when she caught the scent of death and decay in the air. Whatever this woman was, she wasn't human and the feel of her was rekindling the anger she thought was lost in the youkai's embrace.  
  
Inuyasha's arms tightened protectively around her and surprised, she looked up at the fierce expression on his profile. She felt the sudden rise of his own anger, underlying with sadness and pain, but even stronger inside him was... concern? For her?  
  
He turned his attention back to her, making her start in chagrin at getting caught staring at him, but then her eyes locked onto his. She went still the moment she saw the intensity in his glowing gaze, the barrier in her thoughts shifting and then cracking as it flooded her with the return of her own memory.  
  
Kagome hissed, grabbing her head with her empty hand as her knees buckled and she stumbled against Inuyasha. He caught her easily, pressing her hard against him while an encouraging rumble vibrated from his chest. He stroked a clawed hand over her hair, rubbing his chin over her head as he kept a cautious eye trained on Kikyou.  
  
"That's it, Kagome," he murmured in response to what he could feel in her mind. "I know it hurts, but you have to calm down. I'll get us out of this," he promised fervently.  
  
Blinking rapidly at the sudden wash of emotion and horribly confused at the unfamiliar surroundings. Her eyes opened slightly and she moved back enough to look up first at him, then at the arrow in her hand and finally beyond to the undead miko. She seemed completely unfazed that he was in youkai form, much more interested in Kikyou's presence and the evidence of her attack.  
  
Inuyasha felt the sweep of rage that filled her, this time the emotion purely her own as she focused on Kikyou. He could see the moment her thoughts reconnected; her eyes changing again to the lucid scarlet they had been when she had fought with Kouga.  
  
Her own clawed hand lifted to lightly touch his cheek, and involuntarily his eyes closed as he heard her whisper, "Inuyasha. are you hurt?"  
  
"I'll be fine," he assured her, his voice a thick growl as he pressed a hard kiss to her temple. The rush of his relief almost making him light- headed to hear the warm familiarity in her tone again, "You're the one we need to worry about, Kagome. You've been bleeding, and I have to-"  
  
"Later," she cut off the flood of words, moving her fingers to press to his lips. "I'm fine, Inuyasha, really I am," she turned his earlier words back on him and tried to push out of his embrace.  
  
Inuyasha stubbornly refused to release her, his ears flattening back as he bared his fangs at Kikyou when she started to reach for another arrow. Satisfied when the miko froze and continued to simply stand and watch them with nervous suspicion, he squeezed Kagome closer and spoke insistently, "Kagome, let me get you out of here. I don't... I don't want you to-"  
  
Kagome's spirits sank in an abrupt spiral of depression, recalling how she had found Inuyasha when she'd given into the urge to believe Kagura and go to Naraku. But if Kikyou was here, why was he even holding her like this? Shouldn't he be running to the undead miko's side like he always did? Forgetting she even existed until Kikyou was long gone. And why did her head ache so much when she was this angry?  
  
If she could feel his torn emotions, surely he could feel how badly she wanted to tear into Kikyou for attacking him. The position of the arrow suggested she had been aiming for Inuyasha, and had she not caught it, it would have killed him. Knowing that, she wanted nothing more than to use the strength pounding through her to challenge Kikyou and he was stopping her. Again.  
  
She managed to get her hands around to Inuyasha's wrists and removed herself from his hold with one hard push. Her eyes were flat as she regarded him, "I don't want to have to fight with you over this, Inuyasha. If you want to be with Kikyou instead.... just go. Don't...." her voice faltered and she bit down hard on her lower lip to hold back a flow of tears.  
  
Inuyasha caught her hands, his eyes blazing angrily when he felt the wave of miserable uncertainty and pained sorrow run through Kagome. It was clear to him from her thoughts that she was still suffering from traces of Naraku's lies. How could she think that little of him?  
  
He yanked her forward, taking her mouth in a bruising kiss that was over almost before it had begun. He pulled away to catch her shocked gaze with his own narrowed eyes, "Do you trust me, Kagome?"  
  
Kagome frowned in confusion, well aware of their proximity to the miko as she glared her hatred at them both, and wondering what Inuyasha could possibly be playing at. For his part, Inuyasha was watching her intensely, setting his jaw when he saw the thoughts chasing through her head. He pulled her back into his embrace, one arm wrapping around her back and holding her against while he sank his other into the hair and her nape and held her gaze locked onto his.  
  
"Don't think, just answer," Inuyasha instructed in a sharp command. "I want to know how you feel, not what you think."  
  
Kagome clamped her mouth shut, instinctively obeying the tone of his voice as she ignored her confusing thoughts and focused instead on what her instincts told her in response to his question. Her eyes slid closed, shoulders slumping in defeat as her head fell forward against his chest, 'My God. I really am a fool.'  
  
"Hai," she answered, nearly too low for even his hearing to pick up, but he could smell the salty twinge of tears hinting her scent. "I. I could never. I trust you, Inuyasha," she finished, her hands fisted tightly in the bloodstained fabric of his haori.  
  
He leaned down, pressing his mouth to her temple and rubbing his chin over the top of her head, "Then trust me."  
  
Kagome looked up, nodding slowly when he very gently pushed her back a step and turned to face Kikyou. She could feel her heart pounding as she watched him walk closer to the once-more expressionless miko, fisting her hands at her sides even as her brows lowered, and her lips pulled back in a snarl. Her instincts were screaming at her to protect him from what she very clearly saw as a threat, and she nudged Shippo from his place in her kimono.  
  
"What is it?" Shippo poked his head up, looking at her in concern and trying to soothe her taut muscles by lightly stroking his little clawed hand down her chest.  
  
"Shippo-chan," she answered tightly, thighs bunching as her body readied itself to leap forward at the first sign of aggression even as she took a deep breath and searched out the feel of him in her head. If she was going to have to fight, she was going to be ready, and she pulled the youkai strength back into her, "Go to Sango and Miroku-sama."  
  
Shippo was about to protest when he realized Kagome's attention was focused elsewhere and he curiously followed the line of her gaze. His jaw dropped when he saw Inuyasha slowly take Kikyou's bow away from her, holding it in one hand as he pulled the resurrected miko into a gentle embrace.  
  
Shippo immediately slipped out of Kagome's kimono to perch on her shoulder as he hissed out angrily, "What the hell is that jerk doing with her?!"  
  
"I don't know," Kagome shook her head, her voice tight with suppressed emotions. "But I don't want you to get hurt. Please don't argue. Go to them."  
  
The little kitsune looked at her face carefully for a moment, lingering on the overly shiny appearance to her eyes and the scars on her cheeks, made that much more apparent by the muscle flexing in her jaw. He reached up to rub her flattened ear gently and nodded, "You're going to kill her this time, aren't you?"  
  
"I don't think I can stop myself," she answered honestly, a bitter smile playing at her lips.  
  
"But what if Inuyasha tries to stop-?"  
  
"We'll just have to wait and see," Kagome interrupted quietly, closing her eyes as she welcomed the way her blood began to heat with fierce anger, the youkai instincts slowly taking deeper hold. "I've never thought I'd have to learn to control youkai blood, Shippo-chan, but the voices, and then Kagura and Naraku. They said some things that I just can't disbelieve."  
  
Shippo puffed up his chest in what he hoped was a brave motion, leaning forward to give her a peck on the cheek and hug her neck, "I'll snap you out of it again if I have to, Kagome. Okaa-san."  
  
Kagome's rage wavered for a moment, replaced by a sudden wave of protectiveness and loving affection as she reached up to enfold Shippo in an awkward, one-handed embrace before nudging him towards safety, "Arigato, Shippo-chan."  
  
*  
  
Inuyasha's ears flicked back towards Kagome nervously when he felt her heartbeat accelerate, the purely animal growl echoing quietly in his mind as he plucked the bow out of Kikyou's hands. Kikyou's eyes watched him, curious and suspicious all at once as she waited to see what he was planning to do.  
  
He heard her let out a quiet sigh when he reached out and wrapped an arm around her, her hands coming up to his chest lightly as she turned her face and pressed her face to the curve of his neck.  
  
"I knew you would realize your mistake, Inuyasha," Kikyou murmured softly against his shoulder, her eyes barely opening to focus a triumphant smile into Kagome's narrowed scarlet gaze across the grove. "Look at her. I told you she wasn't strong enough to control herself, and now she barely even looks human anymore. She should never have been the guardian of the Shikon jewel."  
  
Inuyasha was silent, his eyes sliding closed as he stood motionless with her.  
  
Encouraged, Kikyou straightened and stared at Kagome with a bland frown, "You should have helped me to kill her before she seduced you, Inuyasha. You could have saved us from these ridiculous complications."  
  
A loud cracking sound cut through the quite censor of Kikyou's voice, making her start in surprise as her gaze fell to the second bow ruined within the past three days. This one though had been crushed in Inuyasha's fist, the wood shattered from top to bottom from the force in his grip as he opened his hand to drop the remains carelessly to the ground.  
  
Kikyou brought a hand up to her heart in alarm when his embrace went slack and he took a step away from her. Her eyes searched his face, narrowing when she noticed his eyes were almost completely hidden beneath his hair, his lips pulled back off his elongated fangs in a snarl.  
  
"Inuyasha? What. what are you doing?!" Kikyou moved forward and reached for him.  
  
Inuyasha caught her wrist before she touched him, his expression devoid of emotion when he lifted his head to meet her eyes, sending a nervous chill through her. He leaned forward just enough to convey the subtle threat in his voice, "You gave Kagome to Naraku."  
  
Kikyou frowned, tugging at her captive hand lightly to test his grip, "She betrayed you, just like I told you she would."  
  
Inuyasha shook his head, releasing her and taking another step back before he glanced over his shoulder at Kagome. His heart sank to see her eyes glowing again, her face filled with a mixture of hurt, anger, and confusion as her ears, HIS ears, alternately flattened back and flicked forwards in an effort to hear what was being said.  
  
"I'm sorry, Kikyou," he let out a heavy sigh, turning his back on her. "You should not have tried to take her away from me. You shouldn't have hurt her like that," his voice was low and hard with angry disapproval.  
  
Kagome frowned as she stared at the play of emotions not only chasing over Kikyou's normally blank face, but the ones pulsing through the tattoo into her as well. Both of them were experiencing a slow rise of anger, but while Kikyou's was cold and eradicating her other feelings, Inuyasha's anger was tempered with a dim sense of sorrow and betrayal.  
  
Strangely, on top of those feelings, Kagome could feel a clear desire from him to calm her and protect her. The conflicting senses only made her head ache that much more, and she lifted her hand to her forehead in a helpless gesture.  
  
Inuyasha turned and walked with measured steps out from in-between the two mikos, coming to a stop only when he had nearly reached Sango and Miroku's positions. Feeling the two pairs of bemused eyes boring into his back, he folded his arms over his chest and dropped into a cross-legged position in the grass.  
  
Kagome blinked several times, attempting to process what exactly Inuyasha was doing by just sitting there and refusing to look at either of them. What had he said to Kikyou? She cocked her head to one side and glanced over to Sango and Miroku, hoping for a hint, but they were looking at him in much the same state of confusion as she was herself.  
  
"Oi, Kagome," Inuyasha's low growl brought her attention back in a flash.  
  
She frowned, eyes narrowing as she responded, unable to keep the cautious, disbelieving edge out of her voice, "Inuyasha?"  
  
He turned just enough to catch sight of her out of the corner of his eye, his expression solemn, "I won't interrupt."  
  
Kagome stumbled back a step, her eyes widening as her mouth fell open for all of two seconds as the words and his emotions clicked into place inside her. Inuyasha was actually given her his permission to fight Kikyou, and promising not to stop her? The ache in her head rather abruptly died down as the narrow path she'd been using to rejuvenate her lost strength opened wide. The scarlet of her irises bled into the surrounding whites as her attention redirected with predatory precision to the miko who'd caused not only her, but Inuyasha so much pain and trouble.  
  
Kikyou's own eyes widened slightly when Kagome's lips pulled back in a humorless, wicked smile, glowing eyes narrowing sharply on the new object of her attention. Inuyasha had broken her only weapon, and grimly she gathered her energy as Kagome sank down into a crouch, a growl rising in her throat. The human feel of her wavered, sputtering for a moment like a candle flame in a breeze, and then vanished.  
  
Inuyasha tilted his chin down to his chest, wincing when he heard the first slam of body against body. His fists clenched in the sleeves of his haori as his ears flicked back towards the fighting, staunchly ignoring everything around him as he focused on the feel of Kagome in his head.  
  
It had been a gamble.  
  
Inuyasha knew that he was all but inviting her to get herself worked up all over again, but after that first bone-jarring thud that echoed through him, his muscles relaxed all at once and nearly sent him crashing forward. Kagome's heartbeat thundered in his ears as he got the crystal clear impression of her senses coursing through him and felt her aura consciously reach for his and draw off it.  
  
He took long, deep breaths, focusing on keeping himself calm in an effort to balance out the anger in her. It should be easy to pull the excess off her with the path between them open, and the smoother her emotions became, the more elation he felt flowing from her. She was distracted from the fight, instinctively blocking and absorbing from Kikyou as her gaze continuously strayed to him.  
  
Inuyasha couldn't keep the smile off his face at the thought of that, feeling strangely light-headed even as he found himself turning his head to catch a glimpse of Kagome. His eyes gleamed warmly as he watched her, 'Hell, she really does move just like me when she's like this!'  
  
"Inuyasha!" Shippo took a flying leap onto the youkai's shoulder, momentarily blocking his view of Kagome and making him frown in annoyance. "What did you do to Kagome?!"  
  
Inuyasha snorted, reaching out to pluck the kitsune off his shoulder and set him on the ground beside him so he could keep an eye on Kagome, "She wanted to fight Kikyou."  
  
Miroku and Sango had made their way close to their transformed companion as well, more than a little disturbed that he hadn't changed back and that he was acting so nonchalant about the fact that Kagome and Kikyou were violently attacking each other.  
  
"Inuyasha, you have to stop them!" Sango skidded to a halt, her eyes locked on the younger girl as she caught Kikyou by the front of her robes and threw her hard into the trunk of a tree. "Kagome, can't-!"  
  
"Kagome needs to do this," he returned sharply, the warning in his voice that he wouldn't tolerate any accusations that he was ignoring her health. "She's starting to balance again, and I can feel if she starts to overdo it."  
  
Miroku blinked in surprise, "But.Kikyou-?"  
  
"She gave Kagome to Naraku," Inuyasha's eyes blazed and his hands curled into fists against his thighs. "She would have killed her. The last time, I stopped Kagome from fighting back," his face softened and his eyes turned a little sad as he looked at the scars on her cheeks. "Kagome's. earned this," he shook his head. "This time I won't interfere."  
  
*  
  
Kagome caught Kikyou's wrist, slamming her forearm across the older miko's throat as she pinned her to the tree at her back in an almost crushing grip. She flashed her fangs in a cold smile at the strain on Kikyou's face, leaning close as she whispered, "It was you, wasn't it? You were the one who helped Naraku get in my head. That's why I heard a woman instead of Onigumo."  
  
Kikyou's own lips twisted in a sneer, "You should be.dead, Kagome. A. weakling like you."  
  
Kagome cut her off simply by putting more weight into the arm, "Weakling? Not anymore Kikyou. As a matter of fact, I don't think I ever was; it just took all this shit happening for me to finally see it."  
  
"You're disgraceful," she hissed out. "The guardian of the Shikon-no- Tama turning into a youkai. The very thing you are supposed to defend the jewel against. You were too weak to fight it."  
  
Kagome shrugged, "I am still capable of purifying the jewel, that must mean I haven't made that much of a mistake. I'm still me. Maybe fighting the youkai never was the answer, miko. After all, how much harder is it to kill me when I'm like this?"  
  
Kikyou's brows drew down angrily and she gripped Kagome's forearm, trying to pry it away from her, "Inuyasha won't let you kill me."  
  
Kagome twisted, flinging the miko over her head effortlessly and then pausing to lazily stretch her arms over her head. Her stance was casual, one hand resting lightly on the curve of her hip and a distracted smile on her lips as she waited for Kikyou to push herself to her feet.  
  
Kikyou let out a shuddering breath, her hand gingerly feeling ribs that Kagome had just broken a second time. She looked nervously at Kagome's glowing eyes, the girl flexing clawed hands in an eerie facsimile of Inuyasha. Her gaze turned quickly to the youkai form and the two humans, easily reading that there would be no help from either of them. But Inuyasha's ears were trained back on the fight.  
  
"Inuyasha!" Kikyou yelled out to him, one arm wrapped around her chest as she managed to stand. "Inuyasha, you promised me!"  
  
Kagome shot forward, bringing her fist hard into the miko's stomach, "Leave him out of this, you fucking bitch! You've been aching to kill me for years, so here's your chance," a taunting edge seeped into her voice. "Don't you dare try to hide behind him."  
  
Kikyou fell heavily to her knees, glaring her hatred up at the girl, "I can still kill you. I was the guardian of the Shikon jewel long before you."  
  
"Then why try to get Naraku to do it for you? Face it, Kikyou, you've known all along you didn't have a chance and that's why you've tried to get someone else to do it for you," Kagome's lip curled in disgust. "You knew I'd kill you."  
  
Kikyou brought her hand hard against Kagome's chest, blasting her backwards with a jolt of energy, "It would have worked if Naraku hadn't tried to keep you. He wouldn't kill you when he thought he could control you."  
  
Kagome growled as she pushed herself to her feet, tossing her head once as she shook off the pain in her chest as easily as the others. Another growl echoed in her head, stopping her next attack, and surprised, she looked at Inuyasha. He was giving her an arrogant, disapproving frown as he looked pointedly at her chest.  
  
"I'll be angry with you if you get hurt, Kagome," he arched one brow, his voice low and scolding.  
  
Kagome blushed, her ears flattening even as she watched Kikyou's face fill with rage, "Don't worry about me."  
  
Inuyasha frowned, rolling to his feet when Kagome leapt forward, slamming her shoulder into Kikyou's stomach and sending them both crashing backwards into the trees, "That little idiot's ignoring her own blood again."  
  
Sango set her jaw when they heard an outraged snarl followed by Kikyou crashing back along the same path Kagome had knocked them down a moment ago, "What do you mean?"  
  
He shook his head, eyes gleaming dangerously when Kagome reappeared, wiping blood from her mouth with the back of her hand, "Her body's exhausted, but she's ignoring it. She's hurt, feeling pain in my head, but. She's not really balancing with me yet, she's just drawing off me," Inuyasha growled as he made the connection with how well he could feel her compared to what she displayed. "Dammit, she had enough contact to wake up but not to snap out of the youkai instincts!"  
  
Kagome was using him to block out the exhaustion and the pain, and worse, she seemed to know she was doing it. He'd felt the twinge of guilt when he'd scolded her, and she'd refused to look at him, instead throwing herself into Kikyou for all she was worth. His sneaky little youkai bitch had tricked him into thinking she was trying to balance and all the while she'd just recognized his aura and absorbed it so she could keep fighting!  
  
Kagome had just backhanded Kikyou across the face, sending the miko to the ground when she felt the tattoo at her hip pulse and heat. A thick curl of energy wrapped around her on the heels of that sensation, and she bit down on her lip hard as she sneaked a glance at Inuyasha. 'Oh hell,' she felt her stomach knot and the darkening look on his face.  
  
"You promised you wouldn't stop me!" she barked out at him defensively.  
  
"You tricked me, Kagome! Who's in your head? Who are you fucking listening to?!" he demanded when she turned her back on him.  
  
Kagome made a face at him, "How stupid do you think I am, Inuyasha? After what just happened to me, I don't intend to let anyone in my head again. The only person I'm hearing is me."  
  
"Fuck, they weren't kidding about how my blood's shutting her off from everything," he muttered angrily. Kagome's body was exhausted enough that if he could catch her and hold her without any interruptions, he was sure she'd pass out like she had the other times he'd had to force her to get control. But she was lucid enough to subdue him back if he used his spell, and that would just be ridiculously unproductive given how stubborn she could be with his blood dominant inside her. There was no telling how long they'd be stuck in a back and forth subduing fight.  
  
'C'mon, koi, I just need you distracted for a second!,' his muscles coiled, preparing to spring the moment he felt her guard drop.  
  
Kagome's head snapped down to Kikyou when the miko grunted and tried to rise to her feet again. She leaned down, catching her by the back of the neck and lifting her off her feet in front of her. Her claws dug into the flesh of Kikyou's throat and her eyes narrowed sharply, "You lose, miko."  
  
She pulled her other arm back, fully intending to punch through Kikyou's stomach and rip the resurrected woman in half. Her hand stopped before it reached it's target, her expression changing to frustration as her brow twitched with suppressed emotions.  
  
'I. Why can't I kill her?!' tears pooled in the corners of her eyes and she bit her lower lip hard enough to draw blood. "Fuck!" she snarled out, her arm dropping as she shook Kikyou with the other. "I can't do it." Kagome shook her head fiercely, her voice whisper soft and painfully enraged.  
  
Kikyou's eyes opened slightly and she smiled coldly, her chest rising and falling in a labored pattern as she lifted her hand to close around Kagome's wrist, "I won't have. the same trouble."  
  
Kagome's hand tightened, "You won't get the chance. I might not be able to kill you, Kikyou, but I don't give a damn how you land."  
  
Kagome twisted, slamming the miko into the ground and sinking her hands into the fabric of her kimono. Inuyasha felt the energy inside her coil tight and finally snap as she let out a scream of pain and rage, flinging the miko up into the air as hard as she could.  
  
He was behind her before her body had finished twisting from the momentum of her action, locking one arm around her waist and using the other to pin her arms to her sides. His mouth closed on the tendon in her neck, biting down when she arched away from him, crying out in outrage at the sudden rush of pain and fatigue that went through her.  
  
Inuyasha snarled when she kicked out at him, wrapping one of his legs around her thighs and taking her to the ground. He growled, his hold tightening when he felt her shudder, a distressed sound rising in her throat as her strength began to slowly drain away under his touch.  
  
"Let go of it, koi," he released her neck, curling to his side to tuck her against him and press her face to his throat. "Relax."  
  
"Hurts!" Kagome gave her head a single shake against him. "Don't-! Don't make me, Inuyasha! Onegai!"  
  
Inuyasha lifted the arm away from her waist and stroked her hair, pausing to rub her ears gently, "You have to rest, Kagome. I can feel how much it hurts. Just close your eyes and let me take care of it before you really hurt yourself."  
  
The soothing growl vibrating through his chest, added to his hands stroking over her ears, and the low timbre of his voice worked their way into her mind until the tautness seeped out of her little by little. Kagome's fingers curled tightly in his haori as her eyes drifted closed, burrowing her face against him when she felt a rush of dizzying nausea go through her.  
  
"No." Kagome fought against it, hating the weakness coming over her as she tensed in an effort to push him away.  
  
"Aa," he returned, slightly alarmed at the way her body was losing heat, her words slurring as she went limp. "I'll keep you safe," he assured her, letting out a sigh of relief when she finally lost consciousness.  
  
Inuyasha lay like that for a moment, panting just slightly as he focused on slowing his heartbeat to a less frantic pace before he raised himself up to his knees. He tucked Kagome around him carefully, ignoring his companions as they hovered nearby, uncertain as to how they should respond to this new development.  
  
He rose to his feet slowly, holding her legs wrapped around his waist with one arm and using the other to drape her arms over his shoulders, "Shippo, can you find your way back to where we made camp before this shit started?"  
  
Shippo jolted in surprise, nervous at being the center of the youkai's attention, "Ah.h-hai."  
  
"Good," he nodded stiffly, his arms wrapping tightly around Kagome. "You can show Sango and Miroku. I'll be waiting for you there with Kagome." 


	46. Some things are better left unsaid...

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
A/N: Gomen ne, for the prolonged delay. I have finally settled after a move from the east coast back to the west coast and I'm able to sit down and type again. LOL. Just as warning, there is a lemon in between the last chapter and this one, but I post those separately in favor of all the anti- hentai readers. ^__^ Love tons from the happy evil puppy!  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Some things are better left unsaid....  
  
Inuyasha stared down at his hand where he pressed it flat to Kagome's stomach, a warm smile on his face. She was still sleeping peacefully where he'd pulled her up into his lap, her head tucked into the curve of his neck and his arms wrapped protectively around her.  
  
Kagome had passed out almost immediately after he'd taken her, her body and spirit completely drained, but healthy and balancing with him again. The voice had said physical contact and well, he couldn't think of a better, or faster way to make sure she had enough contact and to get her aura calmed. It had even been fluctuating while they mated, finally smoothing out shortly before he'd exhausted them both. He dozed lightly from time to time, leaning back against a tree to make himself comfortable and stroking Kagome's hair with slow, absent-minded motions.  
  
Inuyasha was awake now, jolted out of a doze when Kagome had made a distressed sound and burrowed deeper against his chest. He brought a hand up to her forehead, frowning as he closed his eyes and instinctively reached for the connection between them to find the source of her unease.  
  
'A nightmare again,' his ears flattened back as he caught bits and pieces of disturbing images and emotions racing through her mind. Her mind replaying the complete events she'd experienced with Naraku for her in her dreams. Now that she was free of his influence and it was obviously not something she wanted to see.  
  
"I'm right here, Kagome," he leaned down so she could feel his words against her ear, only mildly surprised that she was still in his hanyou form. He could feel his youkai blood steadily healing them both from the inside out, faster than it would have worked were he still a hanyou, "It's just a dream, you know I'll keep you safe from him. Just relax, koishii."  
  
To his delight, she leaned into him, turning her head towards his voice as the nightmare dulled in her senses. She was so deeply asleep that all of his impressions from her were sluggish and hazy, but she clearly displayed how safe she felt when she sensed his aura close to her own.  
  
Inuyasha smiled warmly, tucking her closer to him with a sigh as his thoughts wandered. Unbidden, a heated replay flashed through his mind, pausing as he heard his own voice echo in his head as he growled at Kagome, 'Tell me you love me.'  
  
Then the quiet, almost shy reply from the girl he was rather mercilessly tormenting when she finally responded, 'I. I love you, Inuyasha."  
  
His eyes closed again and his arms tightened with almost bruising force around the girl when the new wave of heat flooded through him just remembering that moment. The bond had been strong at that moment and he had shamelessly used it to feel her mental response on top of her words. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that Kagome had been telling him the truth.  
  
She loved him.  
  
Inuyasha let his eyes drift open as he looked up at the vivid sunset pinks and oranges coloring the sky, but his gaze was distant and thoughtful. He hadn't been lying either when he told her he'd dreamed of hearing those words from her for so long. but he'd been unable to stop the nagging concern that Kagome wouldn't have been able to care for a hanyou. Now he could openly admit to himself that he should be ashamed of himself for thinking she would be like that, but old fears had always risen up to choke his mind with doubts.  
  
His lips twisted in self-mockery; Kagome had said it to him in his youkai form, but what really made his heart pound was that her mind hadn't made a distinction between any of his forms. In her head, he had seen clearly that he was simply Inuyasha, no matter what shape he was stuck in. It was exactly the way he'd always wistfully daydreamed it would be, but then waved off in disgusted annoyance as an impossibility.  
  
  
  
"What made you so different, Kagome?" Inuyasha stroked a claw down her cheek gently, leaning down to nuzzle one of her twitching ears.  
  
  
  
  
  
Unconsciously, his hand trailed down her chest again and began to stroke lightly over her stomach. She let out a little grunt, curling to try and move his hand, but he simply tucked her head under his chin and voiced a calming rumble. Kagome relaxed against him, and he let out a sound of approval that was almost like a low bark.  
  
'That's strange,' he turned his gaze down enough to stare at his hand on her stomach, pressing lightly to feel the muscles tense just below the surface. On one hand, in all the time he'd known Kagome, she'd never had the kind of definition or strength he was feeling in her. She'd always been slender, and she HAD gained some muscle spending so much time in the past, but nothing like what he could feel now.  
  
On the other hand, Kagome had never been nervous when he touched her stomach. Granted it could have been any number of things, most likely she was a bit tender from mating a full blood youkai even though she was in hanyou form herself. But what if.?  
  
Inuyasha pressed again, his eyes narrowing as his ears flicked towards her and back when the muscles contracted and she let out a soft growl, 'It hasn't even been a week.' his brow furrowed as he mentally back-tracked, his gaze turning skyward as though it held the answers he wanted.  
  
'There was that first night,' his expression filled with concentration as he sorted through his memories, lightly stroking her stomach as he did. 'Then the morning before.' he cut that thought short when his pulse jumped in anger, and he forced himself to calm before his agitation could pass to Kagome. 'And last night,' Inuyasha looked down at his hands, lifting a finger to count off in conjunction to his memories.  
  
By the time he stopped counting, his shoulders were shaking with rueful laughter and he flashed Kagome a sympathetic smile, "Keh, no wonder you're so fucking tired."  
  
Especially considering he'd counted over two dozen "encounters" when HE had reached completion, and he always made a point to get two or three from her just so he could watch her reactions to him.  
  
Inuyasha couldn't prevent the sudden bubbling of arrogant, highly amused laughter that escaped him as he bent down to press a kiss to her temple, "At least you're balancing, koi. You.probably wouldn't be. walking if you.were still human!" he managed to get out between his rising laughter, hugging her close as he rubbed his chin over the top of her head.  
  
He shook his head, getting his amusement under control with effort as he thanked Kagome's exhaustion for keeping her asleep through it. No telling how many times she'd smack him or sit him if she knew just how much enjoyment he was getting out of this train of thought.  
  
When it finally died down to an occasional chuckle, Inuyasha turned his gleaming eyes down to his hand on her stomach again. Okay, so there was a better than average chance that she was antsy about him pressing on her stomach because she was tender. But at the same time, he sobered immediately and took a deep breath to inhale her scent, what if. what if they'd made a pup?  
  
Inuyasha trailed his claws lightly along the line of muscle on either side of her navel as completely unbidden, the image of Shippo snuggled in a round ball under Kagome's shirt popped into his head. He growled protectively, his blood warming when he imagined the rounded image without help of the little kit burrowing under her clothes.  
  
The voices had said that Kagome wasn't mortal anymore, and the way she fought when she was pushed over the edge of her temper. Kagome was even stronger than ever, and somehow, he was getting stronger the same way. It had been subtle at first and he hadn't noticed, but more and more lately he'd been noticing things in his blood changing. Was this how Kagome had felt?  
  
'Like now,' he looked at his hands, eyes moving over the stripes on his flesh. He was a youkai, a full youkai, but he felt like he was in complete control of himself, and he'd still been able to use the Tetsusaiga. Kagome balancing against him had made them both that much more powerful.  
  
'I can protect her like this,' he smiled warmly at the dawning revelation, stroking a hand over her stomach again. 'She's mine forever. not just for a human lifetime. I don't have to be afraid that she'll grow old and die while I stay the same.'  
  
He snorted, half in disgust as another thought occurred to him, "Maybe those idiots who did this finally managed to do something right."  
  
But he couldn't be certain, not since his blood acting so over-protective inside her was playing havoc with his ability to read her scent clearly. He'd have to wait until they smoothed out completely before her scent would open up to him again. The voices said she wasn't youkai, hanyou, or human anymore, so how would she breed? Would it be a yearly fertility or her monthly one that she'd had as a human? And how would she handle it if she had to experience a youkai "heat" the way she'd been experiencing all the other youkai emotions?  
  
Inuyasha started to chuckle again, admitting he wasn't all THAT concerned with the thought of Kagome having a youkai heat. She was already his mate, so it would only work out in his favor if that happened. Although Kagome would probably be hopelessly embarrassed knowing what female youkai acted like to their mates when they went into heat.  
  
Before he could let himself get a little too absorbed in the mental fantasies that was giving him, he took a deep breath and laid them both out again on her sleeping bag. He propped his chin up on his fist to look down at her face, running his hand through her hair and teasing her ear with his fingertips to watch it twitch.  
  
Finally he yawned and snuggled down at her back, curling his body protectively around her and covering as much of her body as he could. His hand moved down yet again to press against her stomach, and Kagome again shifted restlessly, growling a warning to whatever kept doing that to her.  
  
Inuyasha nuzzled his face into the curve of her shoulder, nipping at the nape of her neck and smiling when that calmed her. Kagome pressed closer to him, the sound that came from her throat definitely more youkai than human and asking for reassurance from him. He answered the same way she'd asked, just a soft growl from deep in his chest as he wrapped his arms around her more tightly.  
  
He couldn't help but fold his hands possessively over her stomach, his last thought before he yawned and drifted off as well was that he hoped he was right about why she was so instinctively nervous about something pressing against her like that.  
  
Inuyasha fell asleep, imagining what it would be like to hold Kagome close, his hands rubbing a stomach rounded with his child.  
  
**  
  
Kagome came awake with a bit of a jolt, her muscles tensing as her eyes adjusted to the darkness around her. Where was she? The last thing she remembered, she was talking to Naraku. Kikyou had been trying to kill her, and. and Inuyasha? That didn't feel right.. Inuyasha wouldn't kill her when he'd been protecting her.  
  
She groaned and pressed the heels of her hands hard against her eyes. What in the world had given her that idea? And had she really been listening to Onigumo and Naraku? And why was everything buzzing?  
  
When she lifted her hands to her ears, her fingers came in contact with something smooth that immediately hissed under her touch and crumbled away. She frowned in surprise when the buzzing vanished, and she could clearly hear low, even breathing at her back. Distracted from what could have been on her ears, she twisted around and found herself staring at Inuyasha's peacefully slumbering face.  
  
Kagome froze momentarily, but then she smiled warmly and reached out to stroke her hand over his cheek, 'That's right. I heard Shippo and then. then something was going to hurt him. Rather abruptly, she'd felt her blood run hot, the feeling she knew was the youkai blood taking dominance inside her. The strange thing was that it had been stronger than she ever remembered it being, but with the thought of the little kitsune being in danger she had welcomed it taking total control.  
  
She'd felt herself falling deep into the youkai instincts. The more that had happened, the clearer her head had become, but the less she could remember. Even better, while before her body had been sluggish, almost numb, that heat was making it easier for her to move the way she wanted. Delighted, she had wrapped herself in that potent blood and those instincts, but that rather effectively traded being able to think clearly for its strength and protection.  
  
Her memory from the moment it took over completely was vague, but she remembered fighting.  
  
Then her thoughts had cleared again with a jolt, and she was in Inuyasha's arms. Her head had been aching abominably, and for the first time she was feeling pain nagging at the edge of her consciousness.  
  
Kagome hadn't wanted that pain, and she had been instinctively pulling back when she felt the twang of energy and snapped her hand out to catch the arrow meant for him.  
  
When the pain started to return with a vengeance, joined by a wave of weariness, she'd been more determined than ever to get away. Then her memory came rushing back and she had been so angry with him for trying to stop her again when it was so obvious Kikyou was trying to kill HIM.  
  
But then he'd stepped aside.  
  
To fight Kikyou, she'd needed more energy and she'd pulled off Inuyasha carefully, not wanting to catch his attention that she was in worse shape than she'd let on. She finally had her chance to take on the undead miko and she was taking it. It would have worked better if Inuyasha hadn't figured it out anyway.  
  
Kagome's eyes closed in disgust as she recalled her inability to kill the miko, pulling her hands away from Inuyasha to clench them in frustration. She slowly eased away from his hold, but moved only far enough away that she could sit without touching him and draw her knees up to her chest.  
  
Why hadn't she been able to kill her?  
  
Her next thought though had attention abruptly leaving the miko far behind and her shoulders slumping. She lifted her hand when a wave of nausea went rushing through her, her eyes widening in horror, 'I.I listened to Naraku?! Oh.Oh god.'  
  
Inuyasha felt the wave of sorrow sweep through him and frowned, reaching out towards Kagome when he realized it was her emotions he was feeling. When his hand met with nothing, his eyes snapped open and he started to shove himself up in alarm. The panic slowly eased when he saw her sitting close to his knees with her back to him, and his brows lifted when he noted she no longer had his ears.  
  
"Kagome?" Inuyasha's voice was slightly gruff as he shook off the last remnants of sleep and sat up. Concerned, he moved closer and reached out to her, "Kagome, are you all right?"  
  
Kagome's shoulders stiffened when his hand came down on her shoulder, but she didn't turn when she asked in a quiet voice, "Can you ever forgive me, Inuyasha?" 


	47. A little late to be shy....

Standard disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: A little late to be shy..  
  
Inuyasha blinked at her in confusion, attempting to connect that it really was Kagome speaking in that heartbroken voice. His ears flattened back as he knelt behind her, ignoring her soft sound of protest as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back into his lap. He growled to warn her that he wasn't putting her down anytime soon and rubbed his chin over the top of her head. He nipped her ear, frowning when he saw just the slightest hint of a point to the tips, but pushed that aside to question, "What would you need forgiveness for, Kagome?" Her eyes teared and she dropped her chin to her chest rather than chance meeting his eyes, "I'm no better than Kikyou."  
  
Inuyasha sucked in a breath sharply, his hands tensing as he yanked her around in his lap to face him, "What the fuck are you talking about?!"  
  
Kagome cringed, still looking down at her hands fisted together between them, "I. I betrayed you. I went to Naraku and-"  
  
Inuyasha grabbed her chin and forced her face up, his mouth closing over hers to stop the guilty stream of words tumbling from her lips. He was barely aware of the growl that filled Kagome's senses, the contact rougher then normal, but his frustration and anger made him much less restrained.  
  
For a moment, Kagome fought against him, the tears that had been burning behind her eyes sliding down her cheeks. Her hands came up to circle his wrists as she let out a choked sob against his lips, but finally slumped helplessly under the unyielding pressure. She didn't want to fight against Inuyasha, and that kiss. she always wanted to melt into his kiss.  
  
Inuyasha's growl changed to a more soothing sound when her hands stopped pushing him away and instead tried to pull him closer. His arm wrapped tightly around her as he released her lips, staring down into her eyes as he ground out in a low, dangerous voice, "Don't. ever fucking say that again, Kagome."  
  
Kagome's eyes were wide as she stared up at him and her mouth opened and closed several times before she finally choked out, "But-!"  
  
He lifted a hand to press a finger over her lips, "Your voices came to me too."  
  
Her eyes went wide, that casual sentence shocking her into silence as he very carefully fitted her body against his, rubbing his cheek over hers as he kept up the calming rumble and stroked the bare skin of her back. "What did Kagura say to you? What did you feel that made you. that made you go?" his voice broke slightly on the last and he buried his face in the curve of her throat.  
  
Kagome swallowed convulsively, her hand shaking as it rose to stroke through his hair, "She. At first she said she only wanted to talk. She said that Naraku had been watching me, and he knew that I'd been bound to you by the spell.  
  
"Kagura said Naraku was obsessed with me and he could break the spell," she admitted in a small voice, tucking in on herself in his lap. "She told me I wasn't human anymore.that I was more like a youkai now. I'm not mortal."  
  
Inuyasha made a soothing noise deep in his throat, stroking her hair encouragingly, "It's all right, koi. I'll take care of you no matter what happens, you know I will."  
  
"I waited for you," Kagome whispered, her eyes squeezing closed as her hands clenched into fists against his shoulders. "But then Kagura said you wouldn't come because you'd gone to Kikyou. Then something. I thought it was me, but it wasn't, was it? I fell for his trap again, just because I listened when I heard you were with Kikyou."  
  
"I told her to leave and she attacked me, Kagome," he explained, setting his hands on her shoulders and pushing her back to look into her eyes. "Your voices told me that something was waiting, it wasn't your fault that it happened. If anything it's mine because I wasn't there when Naraku came."  
  
Kagome lifted her hands to her cheeks, her gaze turning inwards as she murmured, "I should have known. I knew the bow cut me. I broke it in half when I saw you kissing her, but I barely felt it. I only knew because I smelled blood. Then I just felt like I had to get away, like I always did. That's what he put in my head, wasn't it?"  
  
He nodded slowly, wondering if Kagome was even really seeing him. Something about the way her eyes had glazed over warned him that she was speaking to herself and if he spoke, he ran the risk of breaking her from her self inflicted trance and missing out on this insight.  
  
"I went to Naraku's palace and I was in so much pain," she murmured, her fingers splaying wide over her heart as her brows lowered in remembrance. "But then he told me that the voice in my head was Onigumo. He told me. that he admired my strength, and he wanted to understand the spell. I couldn't think. All I could hear was a woman's voice, Kikyou's voice, and he told me he could block it out. It hurt so badly, and his voice was making it go away. He kept telling me to ask for help and I. I took his hand." she looked down at her palm, her eyes shining with unshed tears.  
  
Inuyasha's hands tightened sharply on her, baring his teeth in violent rejection of the thought of Naraku twisting such a confusing plot into Kagome's already jumbled emotions. She had been in absolutely no condition to fight against that kind of mess on her own, especially not when she was surrounded by so much corrupted magic. Her soul would have been weakened trying purify the mass amounts of corrupted energy it was absorbing, and with Naraku sliding his magic through the Shikon-no-Tama, he'd even tricked her into thinking some of that magic was pure.  
  
"I couldn't hear when I woke up and I was bleeding," she put a hand to her head again. "My entire side was soaking and Naraku.he cleaned it and bandaged it, but when I tried to sense you, all the pain came back. I closed myself off, but then we sensed you coming, and Onigumo kept talking to me about Kikyou. I was so angry."  
  
Inuyasha had just opened his mouth to respond when Kagome's brows lowered, her eyes clearing when they snapped up to his. She brought her hands up sharply, slapping the flat of her hands against his chest and knocking him back as she flipped to her feet in a motion that was definitely more hanyou than human.  
  
"You were kissing Kikyou," she hissed at him, backing away when he rose to his feet, her emotions redirecting abruptly into anger. She immediately began to look for her clothes, the tears in her eyes now frustrated and hurt instead of that lost sadness she'd been trapped in a moment ago. "I only went with Kagura when I saw that," she found her kimono and began yanking it on with jerky, frustrated motions.  
  
"Kagome, it really wasn't what it looked like," Inuyasha grabbed at his own kimono and hakama, not wanting to get drawn into this argument naked. "I didn't know it was Kikyou when I went looking, I just smelled something. And she attacked me, dammit, why didn't Kagura show you that!" he snarled out defensively.  
  
Kagome gave him a dry look as she pulled on the black hakama, tying it around her absently as she turned to face him, "What I saw certainly didn't look like fighting. You were just standing there and kissing her, Inuyasha. Why did you-!?" her voice broke, betraying her emotions as she clenched her hand into a fist over her heart.  
  
"Kagome-!" Inuyasha took a step forward, only to go crashing backwards when Kagome lashed out, catching him in the jaw with her elbow. "Dammit, bitch, what did you do that for!?" he pushed himself up, lightly touching his jaw to make sure she hadn't broken it with her increased strength.  
  
"Don't touch me, Inuyasha, I'm pissed off and I really don't want to rip out your ears until I'm calm enough to fucking appreciate it!" she fisted her hands at her hips, glaring down at him.  
  
Inuyasha set his jaw and pushed himself up to his feet to scowl down at her, 'At least she looks.well, as human as she can anymore.' He reached out, catching her wrists when she swung at him again and pressed her back against the tree behind her, "You're my mate, Kagome, I can touch you whenever I damn well want. Now calm down before your youkai blood gets out of control and changes you!"  
  
Kagome's irises flashed scarlet for a moment and her body went stiff against his, but he pulled her up against him and growled out, "Listen to me, you know I'm right. I can feel what it's doing probably better than you can, and you have to calm it down."  
  
Her brows twitched as she very obviously debated in her head whether to listen to him or not, but finally her hands stopped pushing him away and instead fisted in his kimono. She took several deep breaths and slumped against him, her already exhausted body protesting the energy she expended to control her youkai side, "Why?"  
  
Inuyasha's ears flattened back and he let out a defeated sigh, sinking down to his knees so he could pull Kagome up into his lap and wrap his arms around her. He didn't even pretend to misunderstand, "I thought it would make her go away."  
  
Kagome let out a bitter laugh, pressing her forehead to his chest, "So if I didn't kill her when I threw her, you'll kiss her when she comes back to make her go away?"  
  
He growled in frustration, "Dammit, Kagome, you wanted to fight her and I didn't get in your way. What the hell better way could I prove that I wasn't kissing her on purpose!?"  
  
She pushed herself up, taking in a deep breath as she focused on the strength she could feel in Inuyasha. 'Who would have thought Naraku would teach me something useful,' she thought in disgust even as she shuddered with the sudden rush of energy. 'Without him I wouldn't know I could do this.'  
  
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed when he felt a twinge, Kagome's heart skipping a beat in his mind. 'She wouldn't dare try to absorb instead of balance, would she?' He reached out and cupped her chin in his hand, ignoring her irritated look when he leaned closed and took a careful sniff, 'Dammit, Kagome, you'd better still be balancing!' There was a note of relief in his voice as he sighed, "You almost smell human still."   
  
"What do you mean 'almost?' Why wouldn't I smell human?" she shook her head in confusion. 'What Kagura said. that was just a lie, right?'  
  
He reached up and touched the slight point to her ear with a look of regret, "When. when Naraku had you, you were still bleeding. Your human blood, not mine."  
  
Kagome's eyes widening, the scarlet fading back to azure as she gaped at him in disbelief, "My human blood? What does that mean?"  
  
Inuyasha brought his fingers down to her lips, curiously pressing to feel her canines when Kagome's look changed to irritation at the prodding and she bit him. He smiled affectionately down at her even as his heart sank, "Your teeth are sharper."  
  
She released him abruptly, scrambling backwards too fast for him to catch as her hands flew up to her mouth in alarm. She prodded at her canines tentatively, wincing when she pressed her fingertip into one and came away with a slight puncture, "Dammit."  
  
Kagome was on her feet and searching the camp before Inuyasha could grab at her, his ears flattening back in cautious worry as he stood and folded his arms across his chest, "What is it?"  
  
She knelt beside the slightly scattered contents of her pack, tossing things aside until she came up with a thin square case, "I need a mirror."  
  
"Wait, don't-!" his eyes went wide in panic and he leapt across the grove, but she had already flipped the compact open. Inuyasha stopped behind her, his body tense and carefully attuned to hers as he watched her stare into the little mirror.  
  
Kagome sat for a long moment, staring at the reflection with wide, unblinking eyes before she lifted her free hand to trail over the pale lines on her cheeks. Her eyes clenched shut in pain when a jolt of images tumbled through her mind, echoing voices and a horrible burning smell of- "Miasma... Naraku put it in the cuts to make them scar?"  
  
Inuyasha growled, dropping down to his knees and wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her back against his chest, "He'll pay for it, Kagome. I swear I'll take him apart a piece at a time for what he did to you."  
  
She let out a reflexive purring growl, leaning back into him for the comfort she could sense he was offering even as she moved her compact to study the rest of her face. Pale eyes, the barest hint of a point to her ears, and sharper canines... "I kinda look like a youkai," Kagome whispered in shock, turning her head to search for an answer in Inuyasha's familiar amber gaze.  
  
Inuyasha let out a heavy sigh, lifting one hand to take the compact away from her and toss it away. His arms tightened around her as he wordlessly eased the spasmodic tensing in her muscles before he actually spoke, "You're still you, Kagome. You're still beautiful."  
  
Kagome's eyes closed and she leaned into him, her arms lifting to slide around his neck, "Then it's true, isn't it? Kagura said I wasn't mortal, that I would live as long as a youkai."  
  
He rubbed his chin over her head, finally smiling when her hands moved up to absently stroke his ears, "The voices said they thought you would, something about the distortion of my blood and your soul."  
  
She leaned back to look into his face, "They talked to you?"  
  
Inuyasha let her see a chagrined wince cross his features, "They bitched me out for letting Kikyou trick me and upsetting you among other things."  
  
Her brow furrowed in confusion, even as she felt some of her upset pull away at the honest emotions she was pulling from the hanyou, "They? There was more than one?"  
  
He nodded carefully, "One of them was a real bastard, but the other was... well, as helpful as it could be given the situation. Why are you surprised? They said they talked to you first."  
  
She nodded, but her lips were turning down thoughtfully, "I only had one talk to me. The other was Onigumo, and he only talked to me when I was awake..."  
  
"That won't happen again," Inuyasha's eyes darkened with promise when he saw the shadows start to creep back into her eyes. "Don't think about it, Kagome, it's more important that we get you healed," he trailed his claws lightly along her cheek, tilting her face up to give her a soft kiss. When he leaned back, he cupped her face in his hands and waited until her eyes had opened before he murmured, "I'm sorry for what happened with Kikyou."  
  
Kagome stared searchingly into his glowing eyes for a moment before she offered him a tiny smile, blushing and dropping her gaze as she responded, "It... did feel good when you stepped aside and let me fight her."  
  
"I would have done it myself," when her disbelieving gaze shot up to his, he gave her a laugh filled with self-disgust. "Don't believe me? Kagome, I took YOU to mate, and because of her, I could feel you. in so much pain in my head. I had to see you fighting beside Naraku, and I had to smell how much you were bleeding when I couldn't help you. You know what it feels like to feel anger as a youkai... What do you think I wanted to do?"  
  
Her eyes dropped and she fidgeted nervously, still blushing at how easily he tossed out mating, but nodding in understanding, "I could have killed you."  
  
Inuyasha snorted arrogantly, "Not a chance."  
  
Kagome's eyes blazed when she speared him with a fierce scowl, but when he started laughing and gave her a bone-popping hug that had her breath rushing out in a surprised "oomph," she relaxed. Smacking him lightly on the head, she stuck out her tongue at him, "Baka. I'm going to have to figure out something to bring that ego of yours down a notch or two."  
  
He rubbed his cheek against the curve of her neck, just letting her scent relax him as he growled lightly, "You could always tell me you love me again."  
  
Kagome's face flamed at the memory, and she shoved him away, "Sit!"  
  
It was probably the first time he'd been laughing that hard when he expected that response, and even still when he looked up from his subdued position with a smug grin, "Stay."  
  
Her eyebrow was twitching with suppressed irritation, "This is so damn pointless."  
  
"You started it," Inuyasha propped his chin up his hands and smiled as he reached out and tugged at her hair. "What's wrong, koi? That happens to be one of my favorite memories!"  
  
Her cheeks got even darker and she stubbornly set her jaw and refused to look at him, "If you don't wipe that grin off your face, Inuyasha, I'm going to bite you."  
  
He tilted his head to one side, making himself look much younger than he really was, "I bite back, and my instincts are better."  
  
"Where the hell is everyone else?" Kagome growled, lifting her nose and pointedly ignoring him now as she folded her arms over her chest.  
  
"Close," Inuyasha tested the remaining strength of the spell as he sniffed at the air. "They'll be here soon, Kagome, and we can take you home to sort this mess out," he shifted until he was lying beside her, rolling onto his back so he could rest his head in her lap. "You still smell nice," he closed his eyes and smiled, ears twitching when he felt her fingers lightly stroke through his hair.  
  
"Home," Kagome repeated quietly, looking down at the peaceful lines of his face as she toyed with his hair and then moved her fingers to scratch his ears. 'Do I even have a home anymore? I can't go through the well looking like this!'  
  
She sighed deeply and moved her hand down to touch Inuyasha's lips, 'I wonder... even if it's just a little. Do you love me back?' 


	48. Disconnected....

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi..  
  
A/N: Hrm.it's been so long since I've done these that I think I'm a little out of practice! LOL. For those who are unaware, the space of time between the last update and this one was unfortunately lengthened due to my baby sister, Hazard. Hazard has a habit of getting herself involved in accidents of the most spectacular and unbelievable sort and her latest accident was falling through a glass display case. *rolls eyes* She's perfectly fine and showing off her stitches but I sincerely hope this goes away soon. She freakin 17, for crying out loud!  
  
At any rate, to all of my beautiful and fabulous reviewer, thank you so much for all those great compliments and offers! LOL, you're all the absolute best! And just because I'm evil. ^__~  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Disconnected.....  
  
  
  
Shippo was launching himself at Kagome before Kirara had even started her descent into the grove where Inuyasha and Kagome were gathering up their scattered possessions and repacking what hadn't been ruined. The delighted shriek warned Kagome to look up a split second before the ball of fur slammed into her chest, reflexes brining her arms up around the kit protectively as she slid backwards a full foot, but managed to stay standing.  
  
"Okaa-san!!!" Shippo wailed, his hands tangling in her kimono as he pressed into her so tightly that Kagome had an amused, momentary thought that she'd never be able to detach him. "You're okay! You're... are you normal?" he leaned up and touched her scarred face with curious fingers.  
  
"Oi!" Inuyasha's eyes blazed angrily at the motion, but a narrow look from Kagome stopped him from interrupting.  
  
She turned her azure gaze back to Shippo, stroking a hand through his hair gently, "Hai, Shippo-chan... I'm as normal as I think I can get anymore."  
  
"Oh," he reacted to the slight melancholy edge in her voice by wrapping his arms around her neck and hugging her as hard as he could. "I think you're still the prettiest human I've ever seen, Okaa-san," he assured her in his most serious voice.  
  
"Okaa-san?" Kagome looked down at him, her lips quirking in an affectionate smile.  
  
Shippo looked slightly nervously, turning his gaze down to his lap, fidgeting with a fold of her kimono, "I...Is that okay? I called you that when...ah, when we were fighting...um, and-"  
  
She giggled softly, lifting him up to rub her cheek on his and then press a light kiss to his forehead, "If you want to, Shippo-chan, it's okay."  
  
Inuyasha's ears flattened back as he watched Shippo's eyes brighten before he flung himself into her chest again, nuzzling against Kagome and giving off every sound of happy contentment a nearly baby youkai could make. 'Youkai instincts... Kagome was already bonded to Shippo before this, but she never really understood what it meant to him. And now...'  
  
Sango stared at Kagome in concern as Kirara made her way down, nudging Miroku to murmur, "Houshi-sama... Do you feel it too?"  
  
Miroku nodded somberly, his own gaze on the girl's altered appearance, "Kagome-sama's aura has changed. She still feels human in a way, but it feels youkai underneath that. It's like two separate auras in one body."  
  
"How is that possible?" Sango shook her head in confusion. "If Kagome-chan's human blood was mixed like that, shouldn't it feel hanyou instead of both? Like Inuyasha?"  
  
He sighed deeply as they landed in the grove, keeping his voice quiet in light of the trio with enhanced hearing, "Sango, this has been confusing from the start. We can only hope that either Inuyasha or Kagome will be able to offer us some reason for what has happened to her. Be grateful that they seem to be back to normal."  
  
Kagome's gaze lifted when Kirara landed, her eyes losing the bright glow and taking on a wary sadness as she watched her friends come closer. Inuyasha caught the distress in her mind, the uncertainty and he shot both humans a warning glare. Shippo was one thing, he was a child and certain excuses could be made for his behavior, but Sango and Miroku... He kept his senses carefully attuned to Kagome's emotions when the exterminator started forward, her own eyes full of concern.  
  
"Kagome-chan, are you all right?" she reached out and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl's shoulders, embracing her tightly for a moment before pulling back and studying her face.  
  
Kagome looked at her in surprise, her mouth opening and then closing for a moment as she tilted her head and studied the older girl's face. When Sango repeated her question, Kagome shook her head, dispelling whatever had held her silent and flung her arms tightly around the exterminator.  
  
Sango grunted with mild surprise and discomfort at the strength in the girl's arms, but didn't pull away, instead looking to Inuyasha for some clue as to why Kagome had reacted that way. When the hanyou shrugged and shook his head, his gaze concerned as it moved over Kagome's shaking form, Sango turned her own attention down and lightly rubbed her hands over Kagome's back.  
  
"Kagome-chan." she murmured softly, trying to bring the younger girl some measure of comfort.  
  
"Gomen ne, Sango-chan," Kagome whispered against her shoulder, her fingers clenching as she fought to control the sudden rise of bile in her throat over the guilt filling her. "I. I just-"  
  
"You have no reason to apologize, Kagome-sama," Miroku calmly intervened when Inuyasha started forward, setting his hand comfortingly on her shoulder. When she looked up at him in surprise, he smiled affectionately and nodded, "Not even Naraku could stop you from protecting your friends, ne?"  
  
Kagome blinked up at him in disbelief, pulling back slightly from Sango and looking back and forth between her two human friends, "You. you aren't angry? How can you not be angry with what I did?! I-"  
  
Inuyasha's arms slid around her from behind and he silenced her with a soft murmur, squeezing her gently to stop her confused tumble of words, "Kagome. Just stop," he pressed his cheek to hers, completely uncaring that he had an audience at the moment.  
  
"But-!" she craned her neck to look at him, but paused when he shook his head and leaned forward to lightly kiss her forehead.  
  
"Kagome-sama, we are all well aware of Naraku's tricks," Miroku drew her attention again, slightly uncomfortable with interrupting Inuyasha, but willing to do so for her welfare. "Our concern is only for your condition," he reached out and set a hand on her shoulder.  
  
Shippo tugged on her kimono to draw her eyes down to him, "We were so worried, Okaa-san."  
  
Kagome snuggled back deeper into Inuyasha's comforting embrace, her eyes shining brightly as she blinked back tears. For a long moment, she could only stare at them in turn, her gaze uncertain and almost fearful before she lowered her head and let her eyes close. She had to swallow several times before she finally managed to whisper softly, "A-arigatou."  
  
Miroku looked up at Inuyasha inquiringly, patting Kagome's shoulder as he spoke to the hanyou, "I assume we will be heading back to Kaede's to discuss this latest development with her?"  
  
Kagome went still when she felt a very definite squeeze at her backside, her head jerking up in surprise while Inuyasha's lips pulled back in a frustrated snarl, "Bouzu.!"  
  
Sango was faster, bringing Hiraikotsu down over Miroku's head as her eyebrow twitched in irritation, "Hentai... You think he'd have some respect for what Kagome-chan has gone through."  
  
Kagome very gently pried Inuyasha's arms from around her and to the surprise of her companions, knelt down and offered the fallen monk a hand. She smiled warmly at him, her lips twitching suspiciously as she helped him stand and then engulfed him in an embrace that almost knocked to wind out of him.  
  
"Arigatou, Miroku-sama," she let out a heavy breath, the sound slightly choked with soft laughter. She hid her face to keep him from seeing the smile on her face or the fresh tears in her pale eyes, "Arigatou."  
  
Miroku smiled affectionately, patting her head and loosely hugging her with his other arm, conscious of the suspicious gazes from Inuyasha and Sango, "Of course, Kagome-sama. Anything to help a friend."  
  
**  
  
Inuyasha snorted at Kagome as they traveled the familiar roads back towards home, glancing at her out of the corner of his eyes before he muttered, "You're going to have to tell me what that was about back there with Miroku, Kagome. I don't want him thinking he can grope you like that."  
  
Kagome smiled, absently stroking Shippo's hair as the kitsune napped contentedly in the crook of her arm, "He won't, Inuyasha."  
  
Inuyasha growled in annoyance, glaring back at where the monk and exterminator kept pace behind them, "What the fuck was he thinking?"  
  
She sighed and reached out with her free hand, giving his hair a yank to get his attention, "Inuyasha. Do you remember how when this all started, you were trying to get me to actually subdue you?"  
  
The hanyou blustered for a moment, scowling to cover his embarrassment even as a faint blush spread over his cheeks, "What does that have to do with Miroku grabbing your ass like that?"  
  
Kagome gave him a dry look for being crude, shaking her head and rolling her eyes, "Sometimes. sometimes you just need one little thing to make everything feel. normal."  
  
He blinked in confusion, "Getting groped makes you feel normal?"  
  
She smacked him lightly on the arm, "Don't be dense, Inuyasha. I know you're smarter than that." Her hand slipped into his and squeezed when his fingers tightened on hers, "Did getting subdued make you feel normal?"  
  
Inuyasha shrugged, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand and debating on whether or not he should be carrying her. 'She was seriously hurt just yesterday. Should she be walking so soon?' She didn't "feel" like she was overdoing it, but he was still worried about her. His thoughts were distracted enough that he only grumbled out, "If you had told me what was going on it wouldn't have been so strange."  
  
Kagome giggled softly, momentarily wondering how it would have been different if she'd told Inuyasha when she first came through the well. "Miroku made me feel. well, like nothing had changed."  
  
Inuyasha wrinkled his nose in distaste, "Next time just tell me if you're feeling like that. It's easier on my mind to call you 'bitch' a few times rather than see someone touch you like that."  
  
She looked up at his averted profile and smiled, slipping her hand out of his to trail her fingers gently over his cheek, "Gomen, Inuyasha, I didn't mean to upset you."  
  
"Keh," his amber gaze slid sideways to briefly catch the warmth of her gaze and let it soothe him before he turned his attention back to the road. His arm moved up around her shoulders, pulling her close, "I still want to break his damn nose."  
  
Kagome leaned her head against his shoulder as she walked, her own arm sliding around his waist, "What the hell did I do to get tied to a stubborn, violent jerk like you, Inuyasha?"  
  
Inuyasha snorted again, rubbing his cheek on the top of her head before he smiled tenderly, "You just got lucky, koi."  
  
**  
  
Inuyasha looked around the hazy landscape and growled, his anger spiking as he ground the heels of his palms against his eyes, 'Fuck, I knew I should have stayed awake tonight. All right, where the hell are you this time, you obnoxious sonofabitch?'  
  
To his alarm, the presence that intruded on his senses this time was a tangible thing, rather than the indistinct impressions that he'd had previously. Whatever had brought him to this little in-between consciousness was powerful, and it wasn't trying to hide that from him.  
  
'I would have thought you'd be more respectful when you're unaware of what exactly is waiting for you here, Inuyasha,' this voice was not as unidentifiable as the last either. This one was obviously a man, arrogant and smooth, but still unfamiliar to him as he cast his gaze about for the owner of that voice.  
  
'Another one?' he set his jaw fiercely, turning in a circle as his ears twitched this way and that. 'How many of you assholes have been running around in Kagome's head?'  
  
There was a long, weary sigh before the man answered, 'I have not been "running around" in Kagome-chan's head as you so eloquently put it. It was much more important for me to come to you.'  
  
'Me?' Inuyasha frowned, turning in the direction of the voice and squinting into the darkness.  
  
'Is that so unbelievable?' the man laughed softly, but there was a hint of disdainful mockery to it. 'You are her mate, are you not?'  
  
'Damn right I am,' the frown turned instantly into a scowl and he straightened as his temper flared yet again to cover his confusion. 'Why are you asking that kind of question? Did Naraku send you to get into my head this time after he failed to take her from me? I'll-!'  
  
'I did not come to fight with you, Inuyasha,' now there was definitely an irritated edge to the voice. 'While I myself prefer to deal with Kagome-chan instead of you, I do not believe she is in the condition to speak with me. Especially not with the way she has begun to manipulate the distortion on her own.'  
  
Inuyasha's brows rose sharply, 'Manipulate.on her own? What the-?!'  
  
'You felt it once, I believe,' the voice continued, ignoring the shocked hanyou. 'That disgusting creature truly does understand spells of this nature, and unfortunately, he encouraged Kagome to use the spell to absorb energy when her own has been depleted. Has she tried this yet?'  
  
'I.I don't. I'm not sure,' Inuyasha shook his head fiercely, his heart pounding in his ears as his gaze lowered, eyes unfocused.  
  
There was a slightly exasperated noise, and then a hand closed around his throat, lifting him high and slamming him into the ground before he'd even registered a threat, 'Has she felt tired in your mind and then suddenly she feels fine? Dammit, Inuyasha, think! This is important.'  
  
Inuyasha growled, not at all surprised when his claws failed to locate the source of the pressure on his throat. However, he obediently searching his memory for something like what this voice was suggesting. His eyes narrowed when he recalled the way her heartbeat had skipped this morning, that moment when he'd been concerned that she might not be balancing the way she should have.  
  
'What does it mean if she has?' he demanded in a low voice, his muscles tensing in reaction to the less than encouraging memory.  
  
'Yes or no, Inuyasha,' the hand tightened.  
  
'I haven't got a fucking clue what you're talking about, so I can't say for sure!' Inuyasha snarled out, mentally plotting all sorts of things to do to these "voices" when he finally found their bodies. 'Maybe. This morning, she.she got angry and the youkai blood almost took over, but she managed to push it back. She felt tired, but then I felt her. almost skip a beat in my head, but she recovered. She was still balancing.'  
  
The hold vanished and Inuyasha shot to his feet, massaging his throat with one hand and scowling at the voice, 'Damn. I hadn't thought she used it so quickly.'  
  
'What does it mean!?' Inuyasha demanded angrily, his hands fisting at his sides in helpless frustration. 'And just who the fuck ARE you?!!' he threw out his hands in an expansive gesture.  
  
Another sigh, 'So impatient, Inuyasha. It makes no difference, but if it calms your mind, I am the owner of the spell that was cast on Kagome- chan.'  
  
Inuyasha went perfectly still, his eyes widening for a moment before narrowing as a dangerous growl worked its way from deep in his chest, 'Y- you?! You worthless bastard! If I ever-!'  
  
'Calm yourself,' the voice snorted in disapproval. 'I am the owner, but I was not the caster. Those two damn idiots stole the spell and cast it on her without fully understanding exactly what they were doing. I was unaware of what had occurred until a short time ago. That is why I am here now instead of them.'  
  
Inuyasha calmed himself with effort, taking several deep breaths to control his urge to blindly attack the admitted source of Kagome's troubles and pain. This man said he owned the spell, but he also said it had been stolen and cast. So couldn't this "voice" answer his questions about it? There was only one way to find out.  
  
'I want some answers,' he folded his arms across his chest and set his jaw to bite back the curses and threats dying to break free.  
  
'Make it quick,' there was an obvious shrug in the sound of the voice, its owner almost apathetic in his responses. 'We do have something of a time frame in which I can connect to you in this fashion, and we have important matters to discuss.'  
  
'What was the spell supposed to do?' Inuyasha's ear flattened back defensively, half afraid of the answer, but wanting to know all the same.  
  
'The spell was crafted as a.sort of gift to me,' he responded casually. 'The current guardian of the Shikon-no-Tama was aware that I wished to keep a mortal beside me. She used her magic with mine to create a spell that would tie that mortal's body and soul to my own, so that they would live unchanged through their connection to my soul.'  
  
'Then you're a youkai,' Inuyasha reasoned.  
  
'That should have been obvious,' again that disdainful snort that set his teeth on edge. 'Only a youkai would be strong enough to fashion such a spell.'  
  
Inuyasha ignored that in favor of the question he wanted the answer to the most, 'What went wrong?'  
  
'You wish to know how the spell distorted when it was cast on Kagome- chan,' the voice sighed deeply, giving the impression he felt the question was a waste of time even as he responded. 'The spell was meant to be cast on a human without magic. Not only that, but the Shikon-no-Tama was used to strengthen the force of the spell, and as Kagome-chan's aura is disturbingly similar to that jewel, the spell recognized it as its origin. It was never meant to be used on a human with her kind of powers or so ancient a soul.  
  
'Also, the blood they used is the blood of your future self, and not only that, but they somehow managed to separate your youkai and human blood. Only your youkai blood was used for the mark and added to her association with the jewel, it caused an unexpected reaction. The spell opened up a path to her soul and in doing so turned her into a sort of conduit for not only her own magic, but for youkai magic as well.  
  
'I can tell you that the spell started out relatively harmless,' he continued, the sound of his voice much closer than it had been a moment ago. 'However, it had a ready supply of very powerful magic at its disposal inside of her and it used that magic to make itself stronger and. mature, for lack of a better word. Kagome being. a miko, the youkai blood responded as though it had been threatened, and it was possible she would have killed the spell before it solidified had not one of those idiots used the path to her soul to possess her and fight.'  
  
'The first fight with those youkai.' Inuyasha murmured quietly. 'When she killed them both and Miroku said he felt three magic auras.'  
  
'One was yours,' the man agreed, unperturbed by the shock in Inuyasha's voice. 'You were unaware of it, but due to your connection through the spell, the other presence in her woke your blood from its dormant state. It sensed the other presence inside her and reacted somewhat violently in its effort to force another male out of her. Although, if Kagome-chan hadn't trusted you or loved you as she does, though the gods only know "why" she does, it may have killed her. Luckily for you, her soul knows yours and instead of fighting against it, she twisted her aura around it and let it gain strength in her body to make its claim.  
  
'It was not a normal human reaction to youkai blood and definitely not the reaction of a miko. That was when the spell truly began to change, and to change her along with it. You noticed her behavior began to change? She lost some of her human restraints and inhibitions? She even began to feel and senses things like a youkai when your soul gained dominance.'  
  
Inuyasha sat down, dropping his head into his hands as his mind raced with everything this voice was telling him. These were the explanations that he wanted, but did he really want to hear this? 'I only noticed when she started hearing things a human shouldn't,' he spoke absently.  
  
'You're aware of what occurred when that undead miko nearly killed her, ne?' he could sense the owner of the voice standing above him before a hand came down on his shoulder. 'That creature manipulated her instinct to survive and somehow teased your blood into almost completely taking over her human side. That miko would have killed her if that hadn't happened, but that started the dominance in the youkai blood. YOUR soul was terrified of losing Kagome-chan and it took control of her soul through the blood to tie her to you on its own.  
  
'It was even worse then your human night came. Somehow the blood in you completely transferred to her and her own did the same to you. It was your soul's decision and it used ever moment inside her to prepare her body for when your youkai blood was mixed with her own completely,' the hand tapped a finger against his shoulder in irritation.  
  
'What?' Inuyasha's head lifted in confusion. 'I. I didn't do this! I didn't do any of this!'  
  
'In the future, Inuyasha, when they took the blood from you, all of this had already happened,' he explained, but the sound of his voice turned almost hesitant, as though he didn't really want to tell him that. 'When your youkai blood felt that Kagome was not connected to it, it.it was enraged for lack of a better term. You could even say that it overdid it in its effort to connect with the Kagome of your present. And as the blood is still yours, and mixed with your own of now, it made it that much stronger.'  
  
'Then.everything that's happened to her is permanent?' Inuyasha set his jaw, willing to accept that Kagome had been turned into.whatever the hell it was she had turned into because of his blood's reaction. He was just glad he had forever to figure out how to make it up to her.  
  
'That is why I have come in place of those two,' the arrogance was back full force, and the hand lifted off his shoulder. 'I've wasted enough time with your questions when I've yet to address the real reason I'm here.'  
  
'What the fuck are you here for then? To tell me what a mistake this has all been? Are you trying to blame this on me?' Inuyasha reared up, his eyes blazing angrily as he searched the darkness despite knowing just how futile the action was.  
  
'Of course not,' came the dry response, along with a strike from behind than sent him to the ground. 'Don't force me to break my promise that I wouldn't fight with you. I am here to help you, you brainless idiot.'  
  
'Help? From any of you?' he snorted, picking himself up and reminding himself over and over that there wasn't any way to kill this "voice" just yet. 'I'd rather cut out my own heart.'  
  
The voice was silent a moment and Inuyasha felt a chill rush down his spine when quiet laughter shattered the stillness, 'Your own heart? You certainly never do anything in halves, do you, Inuyasha?'  
  
'Shut up,' he bared his teeth in the direction of the voice, his ears once again flicking in an effort to locate the man so he could pound some of his frustration with the entire mess out on something that could bleed for a change.  
  
There was a deep sigh and then the voice had reverted to his seemingly favored bored disdain, 'Inuyasha, I can correct most, if not all the damage that has been done to Kagome-chan.'  
  
'Wha-?! What the fuck?!' Inuyasha's spine straightened in shock and he spun in a circle. 'You can fix the spell? Dammit, why the hell didn't you say so in the first place?! And why haven't you done it yet?'  
  
'Because I need your cooperation for it to work.'  
  
Inuyasha scowled darkly, 'You did it without my cooperation, why do you need it to fix it?'  
  
'We've tried to correct the spell, but each time we get close to her, your soul attacks us and settles even deeper in her,' the voice growled out. 'If we keep trying the effects really will be permanent.'  
  
'My soul attacks.? Wait, why would my soul attack you for trying to correct the spell?' his eyes narrowed suspiciously. 'Just what the fuck do I have to agree to let you do for it to work?'  
  
'I have to sever your connection with Kagome-chan.'  
  
Inuyasha froze, his eyes going wide and his heart lurching in his chest as he swallowed a painful lump in his throat. He had to have misheard him. The weren't actually suggesting. His voice was nearly silent when he gritted out, 'What.what did you say?'  
  
'I have to disconnect you.' 


	49. Into a corner....

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi..  
  
A/N: Gomen ne for how long its been, but I'm trying to update with Himiko on my site and she's been horribly busy. Hazard also struck again and set me back a bit more. *sweatdrop* That child is trying to kill me. As always my reviewers are all absolutely wonderful and amazing! I adore each and every one of you and so saying, I'll get right to it. ^___^  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Into a corner..  
  
  
  
Inuyasha knew he'd never been known as a patient hanyou.  
  
Almost everyone he'd ever interacted with had at some point called him anything from temperamental and rude, to downright selfish and explosive. This was not a moment that would encourage an on-looker to make a different observation.  
  
Inuyasha lunged in the direction of the voice, slashing blindly as his eyes blazed red and a truly blood-curdling snarl ripped from his throat, 'Stay the FUCK away from Kagome, you goddamn sonofaBITCH!!'  
  
For a split second Inuyasha was almost certain his had connected with. well, something solid, but his claws had barely touched against the elusive presences when he was slammed to the ground by the voice's eerily disembodied hands. He was back on his feet in an instant, lashing out in all directions and snarling as the voice repeated itself over and over in his mind. The voice, however, was silent throughout his rage, but he could feel it watching him, spurring him on to continue the futile attack.  
  
Inuyasha finally dropped to his knees, panting heavily as he glared out into the darkness, 'Coward! Come out and face me instead of hiding in the dark like this!'  
  
A low sigh filled his ears, echoing around his to make the direction impossible to determine, 'I am not going to fight with you, Inuyasha.'  
  
'You're threatening Kagome,' his eyes gleamed violently as his claws dug deeply into his palms. 'If you thought I'd let you fucking do that unchallenged, you've been deluding yourself!'  
  
'I'm trying to help her, you stubborn idiot,' the man's voice had filled with irritation.  
  
'By breaking our connection?!' Inuyasha's lip curled back off his fangs. 'That's bullshit! You tied her to me and from what YOU'VE said, that connection is the only thing that's saved her life more than once. What happens if you disconnect us and something goes wrong, hn? Would Kagome be able to balance without it? I need that spell to keep her from losing control of her youkai side!'  
  
'She shouldn't need to balance if everything goes as planned,' the voice explained in a growl. 'The spell's magic caused those troubles and if it is lifted, it will not be necessary to have that kind of link to her.'  
  
Inuyasha felt a rise of bile in his throat, every ounce of his being rebelling at the way this youkai was so casually speaking of destroying his bond, 'Is she mortal as she is now?'  
  
'You already know she isn't,' in snorted disdainfully. 'The amount and strength of the youkai blood inside her is changing the human blood with every heartbeat. That is why this must be done quickly, before she falls too deeply into her instincts to allow them to be removed from her. Given time, Kagome will protect the youkai blood inside her just as jealously as you do.'  
  
Inuyasha slowly pushed himself to his feet, his hands still tightly fisted as his ears flattened back and he demanded, 'If.' He bit down hard on his lip to hold in the instinctive shout of denial in favor of wanting to know exactly what this voice intended to try on her. He had to be prepared to defend her, 'Would she lose that?'  
  
'I believe she can be re-infused with human blood and restore her humanity, but simply removing the youkai blood would kill her. There is not enough of the human blood left in her body to support it alone after that mess with that disgusting creature, although gratefully, all the youkai blood is your own. Kagome-chan purified the magic and blood inside her while yours attacked it more directly.' The voice chuckled slightly, 'I had never seen a youkai, much less a hanyou, with blood as possessive as yours. It simply refuses to allow any other presence inside her body than you.'  
  
Inuyasha closed his eyes, inhaling deeply as he fought to calm his fierce anger by sheer force of will, 'Maybe you haven't been listening, asshole. Kagome is mine, and no matter what you say, I won't let anyone or anything take what's mine. If you're surprised by how strong our bond is, you can't possibly know either of us very well.'  
  
The derisive snort that answered him set his teeth on edge, 'Kagome-chan could get along with any youkai, even ones I was certain she would despise being young, human, and a miko. Given your personality, Inuyasha, her devotion to you never ceases to astound me, and her tolerance. I had never known creatures like that existed. It is in her very nature to hold to those she cares for and protect them.  
  
'Your motives, in my experience, are rarely pure,' it continued, unperturbed by the hanyou's bristling and deep-throated growl. 'I believe your presence is so dominant inside her because you wanted Kagome-chan from the start and that your feelings only built inside you the longer you were with her. When you felt the change to bind her to you, your soul took full advantage. After all, every time I came in contact with you, you were giving off signals that you had staked your claim even though you had yet to act on it. Or to fully choose between her and that undead miko, despite Kagome-chan's loyalty to you.'  
  
'That's none of your fucking business,' Inuyasha bared his teeth to cover the sharp twinge of guilt that went through him.  
  
'If I choose to make it my business, then it will be, Inuyasha,' there was a definite taunt in the voice this time. 'Frankly I'm amazed you defended Kagome-chan to that bitch after how completely you seemed to lose your head around her before. Imagine.. Kissing a corpse while your mate was watching..'  
  
'If all you're here to do now is run your mouth, then you can just go back to wherever the hell it was you came from,' Inuyasha's hands clenched into white-knuckled fists at his sides, head bowing to hide blazing eyes behind his bangs.  
  
'I'm here to see to it that this mess gets straightened out before anything else happens,' he responded. 'Kagome-chan did not ask to be bound to you in such a way and it has caused numerous troubles. I cannot in good conscience allow her to be trapped by a spell like this.'  
  
Inuyasha pressed a hand hard against his chest as his heart lurched painfully, 'I won't let you take her away from me.'  
  
'Is that really fair to her? She never asked you to become human, Inuyasha. Are you telling me that you will force her to become a youkai for you?'  
  
His eyes went wide and he let out a shout of denial even as his own mind whispered agreements with the youkai voice. Was he really as selfish as it said? He shook his head fiercely, 'I mated her when I thought she was human. I don't care what she is, she's just. just mine.!'  
  
'Reversing the spell will not remove the fact that she is your mate,' the voice admitted after a long, tense silence. 'The bond may not be as strong as it is now, but it will still be present. After all, mating is a physical thing as much as it is in the soul. I may be powerful, but even I have no way of restoring what she gave you in that respect.'  
  
Inuyasha ducked his head yet again to hide his relief from the voice, his eyes clenching shut as he gritted out, 'What would it do? If I agreed..'  
  
'I am nearly positive that I will be able to make it as though the spell had never been cast in the first place,' there was a shrug in his voice that made Inuyasha want to tear his eyes out for being so nonchalant over something that was driving a knife through his soul with every word. 'Your blood will be returned to you and Kagome-chan will again be fully human. That ridiculous word spell you have on her would be gone, as well as the branding mark. Most importantly, the path to her soul would be closed to prevent any further incidents like her meeting with the dead woman or with that vile creation, Naraku.'  
  
'Gone,' he repeated in a hollow voice, unprepared for the emptiness that assailed him when he thought of looking at her and never seeing the tattoo again, the mark that, to him, had solidified his right to be so possessive of her.  
  
'I can work the spell back in stages, but to do so, you both have to release your hold in each other. I will need to be able to hold her soul with my own to see how much needs to be done, and every time I've tried, your soul pushes me out and buries deeper.'  
  
His head snapped up, 'You didn't say anything about you moving into her if I let go.'  
  
'I have a mate, Inuyasha, I do not look at Kagome-chan in that way,' it snorted as though disgusted at the mere suggestion. 'If I do not close her off, she would be wide open for Naraku without any protection and that is unacceptable. The spell is in its last stages of development and if it is not done within the next few days, it really will be permanent.'  
  
Next few days..  
  
Inuyasha went still when he heard that, sucking in a sharp breath as his mind reeled with the implications. In just a few days, the spell wouldn't be able to be removed and he would be bound to Kagome forever. Maybe-  
  
'Inuyasha, I told you of the time limit in order to impress the importance of this action on you, not to give you the coward's way out,' the voice hardened. 'I came to you first because you are her mate, and as such, it is your right as the dominant to see to her care. However, if I decide you are not a proper guardian over her soul I will take other measures. Even force.'  
  
'What the fuck do you mean by other measures, you bastard?' his brows lowered in an enraged scowl at the suggestion that this youkai would threaten to take her away from him.  
  
'I can speak to you in this fashion. What makes you think it would be any more difficult for me to bring her to me and tell her exactly what I've told you?' the voice was softer now, self-assured. 'She had a normal life, Inuyasha. Do you really think she wouldn't want that back?'  
  
'She'll die.'  
  
'It's her right to decide if she wants to,' it scolded. 'She had no choice in becoming what she is now. How would you feel if one morning you woke up as a human with no way to transform yourself back into a hanyou? If you had not wanted to be a human, how would you feel towards the one who changed you?'  
  
Inuyasha looked away again, his expression obviously troubled as he turned over what the voice was saying. Kagome. Would she hate him if he didn't give her the chance to break the spell? In the beginning she had wanted to find away, but did she still?  
  
'I am not giving you a choice, Inuyasha. If you do not tell this to Kagome- chan, I will take her myself and explain. Can you look her in the eyes and tell her that you would refuse to let her become as she was?'  
  
'I'll fucking kill you for this,' Inuyasha hissed through clenched teeth.  
  
Nonplussed, the voice responded, 'You have until tomorrow night.'  
  
**  
  
The first thing Inuyasha did when he jolted awake was reach for Kagome, coming bolt upright with a shout of denial that had Miroku and Sango on their feet, weapons ready. Inuyasha ignored them, his eyes darting around the grove with a hint of desperation as he tried to locate her scent, "Kagome?! Kagome!!"  
  
"Fuck, not so loud!" Kagome dropped to the ground beside him, nearly making him jump out of his skin. "I heard you the first-!"  
  
She broke off in concern when Inuyasha swept her up in a crushing embrace, hesitantly sliding her arms around him as she looked to Sango and Miroku for some clue to his unexplained behavior. When they looked back at her with the same baffled expressions, she lifted her hand to stroke his hair the same way she had done for Shippo when he'd had nightmares and turned her head to whisper softly, "Inuyasha, what happened? I'm right here; everything's all right."  
  
He flinched, deepening her confusion even further when he spoke, "Don't leave me, Kagome."  
  
She blinked, pulling back to look up at him and cup his face, eyes narrowing as she focused on his gleaming eyes, "What did you dream?"  
  
Inuyasha bent down and kissed her, his hands tangling in her hair as he seemed to search the embrace for some sort of reassurance. Kagome responded blindly, beginning to worry at the completely uncharacteristic display of emotion, but she had barely leaned into him when he pulled away and rolled to his feet. He reached down and caught Kagome's wrist, his eyes grim, "We need to talk."  
  
Kagome frowned, confusion returning as her eyes narrowing fractionally when she focused on the connection to give her a hint of his emotions. She wanted the help with him displaying so many, and he'd done it to gauge her own moods, so why not? Unexpectedly, she was bombarded with a harsh assortment of everything from rage and pain to downright misery and a sort of resigned hope. "What the hell is going on, Inuyasha?" Kagome rose to her feet warily, her mind screaming at her that this was going to be a conversation she wouldn't enjoy.  
  
He swallowed, setting his jaw as he looked at the curious faces of their other companions and tugged her lightly to follow, "Come with me."  
  
Sango caught Kagome's eyes, mouthing the question as to whether they should sleep yet and nodding in understanding when Kagome shook her head no. She watched the pair vanish into the darkened woods, glancing at Miroku as she rolled her shoulders to relax her tensed muscles, "Houshi- sama?"  
  
"Inuyasha is obviously terrified of something," Miroku frowned, turning his gaze up to the sky and scanning it as though the answers they needed were there. "I wonder.. Sango, Kagome-sama said that the one who cast the spell would only speak to her when she slept, and Inuyasha was knocked unconscious when he had his own audience. Perhaps they found the need to speak with him again."  
  
She looked at him sharply, "Why would they do that if Kagome-chan is safe? Do you think Naraku's magic did something to the spell?"  
  
Miroku turned back to look in the direction the hanyou had gone, "For his sake, I truly hope not."  
  
Inuyasha stopped when they had left the range of human hearing, leaning back against one of the trees, releasing her wrist and taking a deep, bracing breath, 'Just explain it all to her. This. This is for the best and you know it! Do you really want Naraku to be able to take control of her again? He said it has to be done to get Kagome back the way she was. She never asked for any of this..'  
  
Warm hands gently stroking his ears snapped him out of his inner struggle, turning his gaze to Kagome's concerned gaze, "Inuyasha, what happened? You can tell me and then we can fix it, right? Just like you've fixed everything else."  
  
He knew she was trying to calm him, but her words had him cringing all over again on a wave of renewed guilt. 'You have to let go if you ever want to face yourself again. What if you don't tell her and he DOES connect with her to tell her what I couldn't? Or worse, if he really could take her forcefully.. he said he can do it if her soul wanted to be freed from mine. What if she hated me for keeping it from her? Could I bear it?'  
  
He ground the heels of his hands into his eyes as though he could banish this mess through force, but once again, soft hands caught his and pulled them away from his face, squeezing lightly to get him to look down. His ears drooped and he broke her light grip to trace a claw over the scar on her left cheek, "I'm sorry I was too late to stop him from doing this to you, Kagome."  
  
Kagome's eyes widened and shook her head, "Baka, is that what you're worried about? It was my fault, not yours, you have absolutely nothing to feel guilty over."  
  
"Still-"  
  
She pressed her hand to his mouth and gave him a frown, "If I can't say it's my fault then neither can you. Don't make me beat the shit out you to prove a point, I'm not in the mood."  
  
He snorted in helpless amusement, "Your youkai blood must be sleeping if you aren't feeling up to a fight."  
  
Kagome winked at him and reached up to tug on his ear, "Just not with you. It's not so bad, you know, having a youkai side." She flashed the smirk she copied from him and gave him her best arrogant look, "How do you think I got up that tree?"  
  
Something in his eyes turned sad and he sighed in regret, averting his gaze again, "Kagome-?" His voice caught and he closed his eyes, dropping his head to his chest with a humorless smile of self-disgust, "Dammit, I'm such a fucking weakling."  
  
"Inuyasha!" she gaped at him in shock.  
  
He slid her a sideways glance, his eyes shuttered and hard, "What if I told you there was a way to.. to fix this whole thing."  
  
Kagome's look was uncomprehending and she grabbed his haori, brows drawn together in reaction to the distress echoing from the tattoo, "What the hell are you talking about? Fix what whole thing? What's gotten into you, dammit?! This isn't like you!"  
  
"The spell can be fixed."  
  
Kagome went perfectly still, her mouth falling open for a moment before she dropped her hand from his clothing and took a step back, eyes filling with disbelief, "What-?"  
  
Inuyasha folded his arms inside his sleeves so she wouldn't see how tightly he gripped his hands together. He couldn't prevent her from hearing the growl that rose from his throat, not when every last part of him was still so violently rebelling against the very idea he was about to suggest. It took supreme will power to prevent himself from losing it completely and either being ill or grabbing onto her so tightly she wouldn't be able to get away even if she wanted to.  
  
His lip curled back as he forced himself to continue, "I.. I met the owner of the spell." He peeked at her from the corner of his eye, biting down hard when he saw the glassy look in her pale eyes and the way the blood had drained completely from her face, "He said he knows how to reverse it."  
  
"Reverse?" she repeated, her voice quiet, as though she was in a daze.  
  
Fists clenched even more tightly in their hiding place, "He said he was almost certain he could remove.. everything. You can be human again."  
  
Kagome turned away to prevent him from seeing her face, arms wrapping around her waist and absently palming the tattoo, 'Human again?' Her heart started to pound and she bit her lip, wincing when she felt her canines starting to sharpen and desperately holding back the blood before the more obvious signs could manifest. To Inuyasha, she demanded, "The voices told me it would kill me to remove the youkai blood."  
  
"He was a youkai," Inuyasha's heart dropped at the way she kept her back to him, the line of her shoulders clenched tightly as though every muscle was tensed. "He thinks that with a transfer of human blood to replace the youkai amounts you should be fine. He wants to work the spell backwards and.. and pull out all the changes that were made."  
  
"The tattoo would be gone?" Kagome tilted her head down to her chest, closing her eyes and fisting her hands. "My subduing spell?"  
  
"Aa," it was almost too quiet for her to hear, but beneath her palm, the tattoo took up a painful throbbing, spreading heat through her blood as though trying to hide too deep inside her to be removed.  
  
"What about.. ?" Kagome swallowed, unable to stop the slight flush that crossed her cheeks. "Inuyasha, would we still be mates?" one of her fisted hands moved away from her side to splay across her stomach. Something like that couldn't be removed, could it?  
  
Inuyasha nodded, his spirits sinking so rapidly at every question he didn't even think that she wouldn't see the motion, "The bond may be weakened. He wasn't certain." His ears were flattened back so far they almost vanished into his hair, 'He was right. Kagome does want everything to go back to the way it was before the spell was cast. She.. She wants it all gone,' he felt like his heart was being ripped from his chest and pressed both fists hard to his stomach.  
  
He wanted to scream at her, to demand to know how she could even consider tossing aside what had brought them together in the first place. Did she want even the mating revoked? His brows lowered at the thought and he cast a wavering, hurt glare at her still form, 'Not a fucking chance in hell. She.. said she loved me.. I won't let you go, Kagome.'  
  
"How?" Kagome's emotionless question cut through his darkening thoughts and made him bite down hard on his own lip as he fought a brutal battle with his conscience.  
  
He could always make something up that he knew she'd never agree to; if he kept her awake until the time had passed, then the voice wouldn't be able to tell her the truth.. Until the next time she fell asleep, and then she would find out he had lied to keep them connected by the spell. What would she think then?  
  
Swearing as viciously and creatively as he could in his own mind, he focused on the back of her head, willing her to turn around and tell him she liked things better this way too. If she went back to being human, she would lose the youkai immortality.. He would have to watch her grow old and die.  
  
"We have to let him break our connection," he growled out, the words barely distinguishable for the instinctive, animalistic sound.  
  
Kagome's eyes snapped open, the irises flaring scarlet and a stunned gasp ripping from her throat as her posture went stiff and straight, "Break- ?" She bit down on her lip hard, uncaring now of the fangs growing long and sharp against the skin, "If that happened. would I still absorb like I do now? Or would that stop too?"  
  
"It would be like the spell was never cast in the first place," Inuyasha repeated the words, his stomach turning at the way she still refused to turn. "He said it would close off your soul so that you wouldn't have to worry about balancing. I'd still be a hanyou and you'd be.. back to normal," he looked away. If she didn't want to look at him again, what could he do? It was his blood, so it was his fault. "If we release the hold we have on each other's soul, he can work the magic."  
  
"You'd do that?" Kagome snuck a glance over her shoulder, turning back when she noticed his distraction. "You'd let go?" against her will she felt anger spark to life inside her. Was it so easy for him then? Look how long it had taken him to forget Kikyou, if he even had forgotten, and here he was ready to cut her loose in a heartbeat after they had mated and everything?!  
  
Inuyasha almost lost his nerve, almost snapped back at her and refused, but then he'd have to live with the guilt of trapping her. The voice was right; he'd been selfish with Kagome from the start, never once stopping to think of anything but how HE would react to her absence. And. and she deserved better than that from him.  
  
He had to offer her the chance.  
  
His eyes closed and he managed to nod, "Aa."  
  
Kagome's heart clenched, her hands fisting in front of her as she felt her claws grow and the familiar rush of the youkai blood stirring and warming her body as it responded to what her mind perceived as danger. It was being threatened and she was making no effort to push it back this time. Instead, she began wrapping it around herself to give her the strength for what she needed to do.  
  
Inuyasha could hear his heart thunder in his ears, painfully aware of the silence from Kagome. He kept his eyes clenched shut, not wanting to see her expression when she responded to that. He wondered if it would kill him to hear her say she wanted to disconnect the spell, but she would still be his mate.. He tried to take some consolation from that, except that it barely eased the crushing ache around his heart.  
  
"Inuyasha," Kagome's voice right in front him startled him enough that his eyes flew open-  
  
Just in time to see her fist before it slammed into his face so hard he dropped to the ground, his head spinning as she shot away from in a black and white blur, using every bit of her waking youkai blood to run back the way they'd come. 


	50. A Taste of Something More....

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi....  
  
A/N: Well... this one has been done for a while, but my most beloved kawaii imouto is very busy with college and hasn't had a chance to post to the site yet. I've been trying to post at the same time she does, but Megami, Lazuli and PJB (my worst offenders LOL) have threatened me with various forms of torture. *sweatdrop* I will never look at a spork the same way again. At any rate, here it is, just for my much beloved reviewers. I adore you all, especially my non-bishie bishie, and my little helpers. You make my life so much easier! All my reviewers are wonderful and amazing. ^___~  
  
  
  
  
  
Turnabout it Fair Play: A taste of something more..  
  
  
  
For the first time since she fully understood the workings of the spell, Kagome concentrated every ounce of her soul into not only completely waking the youkai blood inside her, but using it as well. She felt the heavy lurch of her heart adjusting to the thicker blood, her body temperature spiking with each pulse as her strengthened muscles bunched and released to carry her away from what it perceived as a threat.  
  
Kagome's bare feet barely touched the ground in the grove of their campsite before the youkai blood finished taking dominance, the last of her human blood willingly pushed into full submission. Her breath let out in a heavy rush of tangled emotions as her ears transformed, sliding up to the top of her head and twitching in agitation as the last of her youkai features settled in.  
  
"Kagome-sama!" Miroku's disbelieving whisper snapped her head around, but the hand he'd reflexively extended towards her froze at the pained look in her changing eyes.  
  
"What happened?" Sango was on her feet, her own attention shifting uncertainly between the younger girl and the path Inuyasha had taken such a short time ago.  
  
She slid away from her human friends, feeling awkward and out of place, even as her heart clenched and she could feel the prick of tears making her vision shimmer. Shaking her head viciously to clear the wash of misery, she crouched and leapt beyond the startled Miroku and Sango to vanish into the darkened forest in a blur that would have put Kouga to shame.  
  
In the back of her mind, she was fully aware that running away was probably the worst thing she could do with Inuyasha. He'd chase her down for sure, probably screaming and cursing at her the whole way, but she was honest enough to know that in no way whatsoever was she actually getting away. All she was doing was delaying the inevitable confrontation.  
  
Her lips pulled back in a self-directed snarl of disgust at letting herself get wrapped up in her instinctive response, but that didn't slow her leaping run in the slightest. If he thought she would quietly submit to losing this new side of herself, he would be in for a nasty surprise when he caught up with her. Before she hadn't known she could pull off his abilities and use them for herself, but now... Hell, let him try it! She'd fight against him with his own strength and if not beat him, at least she'd be able to defend until they'd both exhausted their energy.  
  
Go back to the way she was before? That weak, spineless girl she'd been who could barely hold her own in even the simplest fight? She'd been so unsure of her powers, her miko abilities passing at best and horribly inadequate at worst. But now... now all she had to do was concentrate and they reacted as though she'd known how to use them forever. And then, of course, there was her newfound ability to draw strength from the youkai around her, pulling their own power into her to use against them and enhance her skills.  
  
Inuyasha wanted her to give that up?  
  
Her brows drew low as her eyes bled to the full youkai scarlet, 'Not a fucking chance!'  
  
A surge of adrenaline flushed through her system, mingling with her anger and encouraging her to push that much harder in her efforts to physically distance herself from the hanyou. At the same time, however, each step made her wince on a jolt of pain and sadness, dividing her mind until she was arguing with herself so loudly in her own thoughts that her head was starting to ache. Half of her was demanding she stop and run back to him, wanting to know why Inuyasha could even think to ask such a thing. Yet the other half was just as vehemently insisting she keep running to prevent him from finding her and following through on separating their blood.  
  
Maybe this was why youkai tended to be so violent, she mused with an odd sort detachment from the rest of her chaotic emotions. The more she reacted to the sadness and despair from the one side of her thoughts, the deeper she growled, the other side despising that weakness of those feelings even as she used it to fuel her anger and speed. The youkai blood hated that helplessness, and it was steadily forcing it to the back of her mind, telling her instead that she needed to find an outlet for her confusion. Preferably one that could fight back and allow her to lose herself in the thrill of exertion.  
  
One that would bleed.  
  
Kagome shook her head fiercely yet again, trying to clear the uncharacteristic thoughts from her head. Youkai emotions were so strong, and while she was beginning to get used to them, she was still inexperienced enough that she was easily overwhelmed under their crushing influence. Her clawed hands flexed and she bit her lip, trees rushing by with dizzying speed as she tried to ignore the urge to rip something apart with her bare hands.  
  
Ignoring that, however, left her thoughts open to sink back in the reason she was running in the first place and she let out a violent growl of confused aggravation. If she loved Inuyasha no matter what form he was in, how dare he stand there and tell her he was going to disconnect and turn her back into a regular human. Was it that hard to accept her like this?  
  
She LIKED being this way, being a youkai. She finally had the strength to fight the same way the others could, and even considering giving that up for a moment had her chest tightening in frustrated anger. She never asked him to change for her.  
  
Hell, she'd told him how she felt when he was in his youkai form and it hadn't changed how she felt when he turned back to a hanyou or even human! Couldn't he at least give her that same courtesy of accepting her regardless of what blood was dominant inside her? It wasn't her mind changing.  
  
Her lips quirked in a sudden twist of sardonic amusement, 'Well, maybe my mind has changed a little. But I'm still me!'  
  
The amusement vanished and she clenched her jaw, 'Before it was always that I though he saw Kikyou and now.. Can he not see me in the youkai? Does he not want to see?'  
  
Kagome was so deeply engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't even register the scent that reached her nose until she slammed forcefully against a hard, definitely humanoid creature. The forward momentum sent her crashing back to the ground with a startled yelp, almost knocking the air from her lungs as she swore darkly over her own inattention. The shadowed figure fell back a few steps before catching its balance, and then turning startled eyes down to the source of the wholly unexpected, and from the look of amazement on its face, unbelievable strike.  
  
She lifted her hand to her spinning head, shaking it once to clear it as she looked up... and up into the face of the creature she'd nearly run down. A snarl of frustration left her lips in pure reflex, "Oh this is just fucking PERFECT!"  
  
**  
  
Inuyasha sat up slowly, lifting a hand to his bruised cheek and gingerly pressing to check for broken bones for the second time in as many days. Distantly he reminded himself the he really did need to teach Kagome the more delicate points of controlling her youkai strength unless he wanted to spend a large portion of his time recovering.  
  
But that thought was quickly overshadowed by the realization that now she wouldn't have to learn. The voice would return the next evening and remove the spell, and Kagome would once again only have the strength of a human miko.  
  
Muttering absently to himself to cover his new flash of desolation, he winced over a particularly tender spot, "I never should have taught that bitch how to punch."  
  
But then, why had she punched him?  
  
Kagome hadn't even warned him! One second she wouldn't even look at him and the next she was punching him in the face and running back to camp? Did she think he'd known all along and just neglected to tell her? That would have made sense, except for her running away. If she'd thought that, wouldn't she have stayed and tried to hit him a few more times, or at the very least yelled at him?  
  
His ears flattened back dejectedly as he rolled to his feet, turning to look nervously towards the path of her scent. Kagome still needed him to balance, otherwise he would have given into his urge to run blindly in an effort to smooth out some of his tension and sort out his thoughts. He closed his eyes and slowly drew in a deep breath to gather his courage before he let it out, 'Just enjoy the connection now... you won't have it much longer and you'll never get the chance to balance with her again. She won't... she won't need you anymore, and you'll be back to the fucking one- sided subduing.'  
  
Inuyasha trudged back towards camp, his shoulders slumping as he cringed over the thought of what was sure to come. He could already picture Kagome's face set in anger, practically hearing her voice cursing him and subduing with each shuffled step he took. What would she say, though? Would the youkai blood get the better of her and make her scream and insult him? Even worse.. would she cry?  
  
He winced at the thought, shaking his head in an effort to banish the clear picture of Kagome with her eyes filled with the much-hated tears from his mind, but this one was much more stubborn than the others. "Dammit, Kagome, don't be crying," he growled to himself in an almost prayer. "I can handle the yelling, just don't be.. I never wanted to make you cry," he finished, sinking even deeper into his gloom.  
  
It was laughable really, that he was so terrified of facing one little girl when he had been facing down with things most people only saw in nightmares since he was a child. He would rather be forced to fight everything Naraku had to offer than face off with Kagome when she was upset.  
  
When the light from their small fire came into view, Inuyasha paused to collect his meandering thoughts and to brace himself against what he was sure would come. Several long, deep breaths later, he pushed aside the branches and stepped into the clearing with his eyes trained on the ground as he waited in silence for Kagome to confront him.  
  
And waited..  
  
'Something should have happened by now,' Inuyasha's hands fisted at his sides and he tentatively cracked open one eye.  
  
"GAH!" he took a reflexive leap backwards when he found Miroku and Sango standing less than a foot away from his face. Embarrassed, he tucked his hands into his sleeves, hunching his shoulders and averting his face to his flushed cheeks behind a thick curtain of hair, "What the hell is wrong with you two?"  
  
"What did you do to Kagome-chan?" Sango demanded darkly, grabbing his ear and yanking hard to drag his head down.  
  
"Ite!" Inuyasha tilted off balance for a moment before righting himself and growling at the woman. "She-"  
  
"Kagome-sama was most upset," Miroku interrupted, frowning in disapproval at the bristling hanyou. "What did you say to cause her to transform int-?"  
  
Inuyasha's head snapped up and he was on the monk in a flash, fisting his hands in his robes and lifting him up over his head to snarl out, "Transform?!"  
  
His eyes widened as he dropped Miroku to the ground before the monk had a chance to reply, ignoring the outraged curse as he searched the clearing for Kagome's presence. 'How could I have not noticed she was gone? Why didn't I feel it?!' his nose twitched as he could the end of her "regular" scent in the center of the camp. A growl rose in his throat and his brows snapped down as he concentrated and picked up the way it had twisted, mixing into her "youkai" scent and leading into the woods.  
  
Kagome was running.  
  
His eyes began to gleam dangerously and every muscle in his body went taut; she was breaking her promise. Had she forgotten so soon the promise she'd made after Naraku had tricked her? She'd sworn she wouldn't leave him, no matter what...  
  
"She changed in front of us and ran when we asked her what happened," Sango was saying, following his line of sight with concern. "Inuyasha, what did you say to her?"  
  
Inuyasha had already sunk into a semi-crouch, preparing to chase after her, "That stupid bitch! If she goes too far, she'll stop balancing!"  
  
Miroku had turned to restrain the hanyou when he suddenly fell backwards with a hiss, grabbing his haori over his heart. "Inuyasha!" his hands came up to brace his companion, eyes wide as he searched for the cause of his distress.  
  
Inuyasha's fingers clenched against the searing pain he'd felt streak across his chest, biting down on his lip to hold in a telling grunt, his heart began to race with the implications. His eyes went wide and his arms fell to his side as a sliver of apprehension raced through his blood.  
  
HE wasn't injured, but he felt the pain as clearly as though he had been hurt.. Kagome was missing, in her youkai form, and -by Sango and Miroku's observations, upset. He knew first hand that Kagome was a long way from knowing how to keep those instincts under control, and his first instinct when he was overwhelmed was to run, 'Run and..' His ears twitched when a faint sound reached his sensitive ears, a sound like.. like some kind of crash, "Oh hell!'  
  
"Kagome."  
  
"Wait! Inuyasha!" Miroku yelled after the hanyou when he rather abruptly ripped away from them and raced off much in the same way Kagome had done previously. "Damn it!"  
  
"C'mon, houshi-sama! Kirara!" Sango scooped Shippo up in on arm, hopping astride her transformed youkai and reaching for Miroku all in the space of a heartbeat. "If he ran off like that, Kagome-chan must be in danger."  
  
Miroku nodded grimly, his mind already filled with images of Kagome under Naraku's control. And yet, none of them had sensed him nearby, "Hopefully we are not too late to help her this time."  
  
**  
  
"What the hell are you doing so close by, hn?" Kagome growled out, slowly rising to her feet as she kept a wary glare on the unwelcome interruption. At the same time, she inhaled deeply, ears flicking forward as her senses instinctively reached out to memorize the smell and feel of him. Mildly surprised at the pleasant scent, she covered it by sliding back a step and baring her fangs, "What do you want, Sesshoumaru?"  
  
THEN she caught wind of an odor that wrinkled her nose, like the reptile house at the zoo she'd visited once, and more what she'd expected. But it was coming from behind the youkai, growing stronger and making her sneeze a single time and try to shake it off in a motion much more doglike than human.  
  
"Hn? A female inu youkai?" Jakken emerged from behind his master and peered at the strangely familiar girl standing off to the side of the path. He leaned forward and then back with a snort of disgust, "Eh! A female that reeks of that pathetic half-breed."  
  
Kagome turned freezing eyes down to the little toad youkai, sending him back several steps in surprise at how very similar it was to the flat glare he often received if Sesshoumaru was highly displeased. Unlike the much more indifferent creature, however, this youkai let out a deep growl and flexed her claws.  
  
"If you speak of Inuyasha so disrespectfully again, I'll rip out your tongue, you little freak," Kagome hissed at him, momentarily distracted from Sesshoumaru's presence by the heated aggression that had filled her when he spoke. The banked emotions she'd been feeling in her run flared up again, and her expression changed to calculating.  
  
"You are the human bitch who travels with my foolish half brother," Sesshoumaru broke the tense staring match between the girl and his retainer. His head tilted ever so slightly to one side as he studied the very obvious youkai features, and inhaled her scent much in the way she had done to him.  
  
There was no mistaking, the girl had been human every other time he had encountered her, but at the moment, there was nothing remotely human about her. Her aura had grown to incredible strengths, the leashed power he'd sensed inside her now radiated from her small frame, but how had she changed?  
  
Against his will, he was curious.  
  
"You are a youkai," Sesshoumaru remarked with the same emotionless tone, yet there was an underlying challenge in the feel of his voice.  
  
Kagome was instantly defensive, but her heart began to pound, "I am a youkai. No one can take that away from me."  
  
His brows rose faintly at the vehemence in her voice, and he turned to face her fully as Jakken waved his staff and shouted at her, "Sesshoumaru-sama is never wrong. You were that lowly human girl who removed the Tetsusaiga! You do not deserve the honorable blood of a youkai."  
  
Kagome snarled, darting forward before her mind was even aware she had moved as she caught the toad youkai's staff and lifted him off the ground to growl in his face, "It is MY fucking blood!"  
  
Sesshoumaru felt a traitorous tugging at the corner of his mouth when Kagome pulled back and flung his retainer through the air in a high arch back the way they had come, "You are immature." He remarked casually, "You lack control."  
  
The censure in his voice was embarrassing, making her feel like she was back in school and had been caught misbehaving by her teachers. She had no idea what prompted her response, but it was automatic, "I'm getting better."  
  
Sesshoumaru glanced at her, arching one brow in a mockery of her words a split second before he was on her. Kagome let out a shocked gasp as the clawed hand closed over her throat, lifting her off her feet as the youkai rushed them backwards, slamming her back against the trunk of a tree.  
  
Her head cracked sharply against the rough bark as the wood shuddered beneath her and knocked the air from her lungs again. Hissing in agitation, her eyes began to glow as she blinked and focused on the cold face close to her own. She felt the blood seep from her nose as her anger rose, her hand lifting to curl around the striped wrist.  
  
His gaze, however, was riveted to the blood trailing down her face, frowning slightly as he reached up with his borrowed arm to touch a fingertip to the blood and examine it more closely.  
  
Kagome growled violently, her aura flaring in response to the power in Sesshoumaru's own and forcefully pulling it into her own. His eyes widened in surprise when the air around her shifted, and the strength in her increased sharply as she ripped his hand away. Kagome flung out a hand and let out an incoherent shout, her eyes glowing brightly as she blasted the youkai away from her.  
  
Sesshoumaru's slowed his backwards momentum, hovering to a halt and lowering his feet to the ground with his trademark grace. His eyes narrowed as he studied the girl yet again, confused by the way she seemed to pulse with his own energy.  
  
"You were transformed into more than any other youkai," he accused in a low voice, lifting a hand in front of his to will his poison to flow into his claws.  
  
"I am a miko first, Sesshoumaru," Kagome's eyes narrowed, smirking at the rush of power filling her veins. 'This is.. so much different than pulling off Inuyasha! He doesn't even look like he noticed what I drew off him. Is he really that strong?'  
  
"You are my brother's mate," Sesshoumaru's eyes gleamed. "You think you are strong enough for my father's bloodlines?"  
  
Her instincts were whispering to her this time, her heart beating faster and her blood heating as it urged her to attack. All those emotions, all the confusion and hurt were begging to be transferred into anger and used to fight Sesshoumaru. She had the most insane urge to attack him for speaking to her in such a condescending tone, for suggesting she was too weak to be Inuyasha's mate.  
  
"You won't be able to kill me, youkai," her voice deepened with a violent growl, reaching out with her aura to connect first with the familiar feel of Inuyasha at the edge of her spirit range. She was well aware that she had no idea how to fight, instead trusting his instincts to take over and direct her. All she needed was to block enough from him so he had no idea what she was about to do, and considering how far away he was, it shouldn't been too difficult.  
  
"He was produced from weak blood, and he's only bringing weaker blood into our family lines," Sesshoumaru's eyes had narrowed with disapproval. "Now he has mated a human who thinks she is worthy to be a youkai."  
  
Her fists clenched, claws digging deep into her palms, "I..am not weak.."  
  
His claws flexed, "Prove it to this Sesshoumaru."  
  
Kagome straightened, taking a deep breath as she straightened her posture, lips curling back in a feral snarl as he launched forward in a blur of motion. 'Just once,' her mind whispered, keeping her still in the face of his rush. 'If Sesshoumaru touches me once, I can pull off of his aura and absorb his attacks,' she braced herself as he swung his claws.  
  
Sesshoumaru's claws connected at her shoulder, raking diagonally down across her torso and slamming her back against the tree he'd just held her pinned against. Already weakened from the last attack, the wood groaned and cracked, toppling backwards with a crash that shook the ground.  
  
Kagome hit the ground hard at Sesshoumaru's feet, biting down on her lip with a snarl of pain and her arms automatically wrapped around her burning torso. 'Sesshoumaru's poison..' she forced her tearing eyes to open, focusing all her energy inwards to follow the sluggish pain beneath the more intense feeling of the torn flesh. Her fisted hands opened slowly to press flat to her bleeding chest, pupils fading as she fought to absorb it the same way she had the other youkai magic.  
  
Sesshoumaru flicked the excess blood from his claws, looking down at her coldly, and wondering at the odd sense of disappointment humming through him. He had hoped for so much more of a fight, and the quick defeat had left his instincts feeling cheated, "Weak."  
  
Kagome felt, more than saw the taller youkai turning away from her, walking away with indifference as she writhed on the ground. Her heart gave a heavy pulse, echoing the sensation through her aura once and then again as the stubborn youkai energy finally smoothed and bonded to her own.  
  
A low, cold chuckle made Sesshoumaru pause in mild surprise.  
  
He looked back over his shoulder at the girl on the ground, frowning when she pressed bloody palms flat against the ground and levered herself upwards into a crouch. His brows rose when her face tilted upward, glowing eyes opening to meet his as she flashed him a cold, mocking smirk.  
  
"If that's the best you can do, youkai, then you're in trouble," Kagome chuckled with confident arrogance, rising gracefully to her feet as she reached out with her aura to wrap it easily around her own.  
  
Sesshoumaru turned back, brows lowered when he felt a strange ripple slide through him followed with the most bizarre draining sensation, almost as though his energy was being sucked away. More importantly, he could no longer smell his poison in her, 'My poison has never been purified.. How?'  
  
"How did you do such a thing?" he demanded, his eyes moving over her as aura flared even stronger than before.  
  
Kagome's eyes had narrowed and she held out her hand, looking at it curiously as she connected with him enough to absently summon his poison into her own claws, "Inuyasha will not accept me as a youkai, my own mate.. And now you, Sesshoumaru, accuse me of being to weak to even call him that."  
  
Sesshoumaru watched her, his bland expression fully restored as he pondered what could have changed the weak human girl into such a youkai, a full- blooded youkai. And Inuyasha could not accept her as such? No doubt his half-brother was jealous that this human had attained what he had been striving to attain for so long. Perhaps she would be even more suitable for their father's bloodline than he'd thought.  
  
"I have challenged you to prove otherwise, little hu- youkai," he was more than a little annoyed with himself for making such an error, but forced that thought down in favor of the much more interesting prospect of fighting against his brother's transformed mate.  
  
Kagome closed her eyes and took a deep breath, rolling her shoulders as the burn across her chest eased with youkai healing. She cracked her knuckles and flashed him a fanged grin that put him disturbingly in mind of his half- brother. Her voice was cold and almost insulting as she growled out, "Let's go, onii-sama." 


	51. Honor thy brother

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi....  
  
A/N: Heh... my most beloved Futago and non-bishie are gathering their spork armies and terrifying the daylights out of me, so I suppose I'd better post this. *giggles and blushes* Sorry about the time it took to get this out, but Hazard has been quite busy this month. *rolls eyes and sighs* She's definitely trying to kill me. Aww, and all my beautiful reviewers give me the best compliments! You're the best! I'd better make this good then... Love tons to you all! ^__~  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Honor thy brother....  
  
Kagome brushed the back of her hand over her lips, wiping off the sluggish trails of blood as she slid to a halt on the opposite side of the grove from the powerful youkai. She watched him with an almost gleeful expression, flexing her claws as her ears pricked forward to catch the slight acceleration in his breathing. Sesshoumaru wasn't having an easy time with this fight either.  
  
She had never expected Sesshoumaru to be quite this strong, but... she looked back at him, grinning at the startled look on his face as he touched the four long gashes across his stomach. She couldn't hide the delighted giggle as she rotated her shoulders, pulling yet more of his seemingly inexhaustible energy into herself to cover the strength she'd lost with her own wounds. It was exhilarating to feel this powerful, and her previous emotional turmoil had dimmed in favor of this almost euphoric rush.  
  
Of course, Sesshoumaru wasn't just strong, he was ridiculously fast, and as much as she was delighting in that, she was having a little bit of trouble adjusting to his youkai abilities. In response, she was relying more and more on her newfound talent for letting herself get lost in the instincts of her "opponent." After all, who knew how to fight against Sesshoumaru better than the youkai lord himself?  
  
But... it was more than a little disturbing, the roiling emotions and skills he kept carefully tucked beneath the stoic, cold exterior, but giving into those -in addition to the power rush, was making pushing aside her own confusion almost sickeningly easy. And that gave her all the more reason to follow the subconscious directions he was ignoring to hold onto his control.  
  
Sesshoumaru turned back to face her, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the new slice he'd made along her cheek, joining the other, mostly superficial wounds he'd struck. He didn't necessarily want the girl to die just yet, but the more they fought, the more he was being forced to begin his assault seriously. It was either that, or fall himself beneath her own strangely successful advances.  
  
The little youkai had shown the most reaction when he'd brought his fist into her stomach, but where he had expected his hand to go through her; it had simply knocked her backwards into the trees. Kagome had barely been fazed, shaking it off with irritating ease and attacking him again. He was just as confused as he was curious that this little girl was so resistant to his attacks. And when the hell had she gotten as fast as him? It was impossible she could so swiftly attain what had taken him centuries to master!  
  
"You cut me," there was just the slightest hint of his surprise coloring his voice as he felt the warmth of his own blood against his palm. Something was seriously wrong with the aura around this girl, and it was just getting worse the longer they fought...  
  
The youkai energy was crackling in wild arcs, slowly overwhelming the original feel of her spirit. It was just like that time he'd faced Inuyasha; that time his half-brother had changed into that thing that felt nothing but the thrill of battle. Could it be that this human could lose control of the stronger youkai blood the same way?  
  
He dismissed that almost as soon as he thought it. This was different... He had no idea how he knew, but on an instinctual level, it was there.  
  
Kagome's wounds should have at the very least hampered her speed, but each time he connected, she would shake her head and the youkai aura would flare stronger. How was she ignoring the damage to her body like that?  
  
Kagome's eyes had darkened, the flesh around her eyes graying as her head lilted ever so slightly to one side and she gave him a slight smile, "You're strong..."  
  
One brow arched and he inhaled deeply, trying to discern why she seemed to be so oddly unbalanced, even disconnected from their duel. He frowned in irritation when he caught the faint spike in her scent beneath the tangled aura, this one purely physical and most unwelcome. No wonder his brother's mate was acting so aggressive, "You're nearing your cycle."  
  
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Kagome shrugged nonchalantly, turning her attention down to her bloody claws. Lifting her hand to casually lick at the blood, she gave him a sideways look, "Are you done already? Here I thought a great youkai like Sesshoumaru would be more of a challenge than this."  
  
Sesshoumaru let out a faint growl, his blood bristling at such blatant disrespect even as he used his icy control to tamp it down. How could his little brother let her out of his sight if she was so close? Purposefully, he turned his gaze away from her, "Fighting now will only push you into heat, little girl. You would lose what miserable control you have over yourself, and I am not as impulsive as the fool you mated."  
  
A sudden, violent growl warned the older youkai that he'd just said the wrong thing in front of the volatile girl a split second before she had leapt at him again. Sesshoumaru dodged to the side as Kagome's fist came down on the ground he'd been occupying, shattering the soil under the force of impact. Her head whipped around, eyes narrowing on him as she rolled to her feet, "How dare you?! Just because you're Sesshoumaru doesn't mean I'll let you get away with insulting Inuyasha anymore than I let your little follower, you sonofabitch!"  
  
Sesshoumaru frowned in annoyance when a very distinctive scent caught his attention, distracting him from the girl as his gaze went to the woods off to his left. Kagome took full advantage of his inattention, throwing all of her strength behind her shoulder as she slammed it into the taller youkai's stomach.  
  
Inuyasha came barreling through the last line of trees, skidding to a shocked halt as his eyes found the tangled pair wrestling on the path. He stood for a moment in wide-eyed disbelief, blinking and shaking his head in an effort to clear the bizarre image from his mind.  
  
Kagome was astride Sesshoumaru, the latter on his back and snarling up at her with more emotion than Inuyasha had ever seen openly displayed. Of course, Kagome wasn't much better, her eyes glowing with rage and her clawed hands locked with his as they fought for leverage. The most startling sight, however, was their hands... Both Kagome and Sesshoumaru's claws were leaking with his trademark poison, neither appearing the least bit effected by the dripping, noxious liquid.  
  
"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted, ripping the Tetsusaiga from its sheath and trying to figure out the fastest way to get his mate away from his brother.  
  
Her head snapped up, and Sesshoumaru used the distraction to throw her violently away from him. Rising to his feet in a single fluid motion, he frowned and cast a disdainful look to the growling hanyou. Inuyasha was gripping his sword almost convulsively, casting his mate concerned glances while trying to focus on the one he considered to be the real threat. It obviously had not occurred to his half brother that Kagome could possibly be a willing participant of a fight with a youkai like Sesshoumaru.  
  
The youkai lord would have laughed had his attention not been centered on his recovering opponent. Kagome's youki had wavered when Inuyasha appeared, giving him the opening to over-power her, the hanyou's reaching for her with a level of control that amazed him. The enraged girl's eyes flickered blue for the briefest moment before she scowled and tensed; forcing Inuyasha's youki away from her as he again felt that rippling drain on his soul.  
  
Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed as he studied the bloody girl more closely, a suspicion forming in the back of his mind with the massive fluctuation in youki all around them. A low growl started against his will as he made the connection, his eyes glowing with a surprised sort of admiration. When he felt his energy drain, Kagome would take a deep breath and straighten, her exhaustion fading and the waning of her strength vanishing as though she hadn't fought at all.  
  
Inuyasha's bitch was somehow fortifying herself with his strength.  
  
It was a powerful, dangerous skill for a youkai to have, let alone a youkai as undisciplined and uncontrollable as this one. His stance changed slightly, menace humming in the air around him, 'At least I know how she is mimicking my poison.'  
  
Sesshoumaru's gaze was drawn again to his brother, searching for understanding in the hanyou's eyes. Could his brother be stupid enough to let her leave his side when she lacked training for her ability, much less when her aggression was heightened by the moon's cycle?  
  
If he allowed himself, he would have smirked at the helpless anger flitting across Inuyasha's face. He knew... but Kagome herself was fighting his dominance? He arched one brow and looked back at Kagome, recalling her claim that Inuyasha couldn't accept her as a youkai. Perhaps his brother wasn't teaching her to control herself in favor of trying to return her to a human? He had been right after all; Inuyasha was jealous that his once human mate had become what he had always dreamed of being.  
  
This was simply a moment that he could not less pass by, "You have no place in a fight between youkai, Inuyasha."  
  
Inuyasha's gaze snapped from Kagome to Sesshoumaru instantly, his eyes flashing scarlet with rage at the bored disapproval in his voice as well as the insinuation that HE was the one who didn't belong, "This is between me and my fucking mate, Sesshoumaru! Get the hell out of here!"  
  
Kagome frowned at Inuyasha, her muscles tensing and relaxing nervously as she debated in her mind whether to run from both brothers or stay and finish her fight with Sesshoumaru. Honestly, she didn't want the fight to stop... Fighting with the powerful youkai was making her feel as though she was finally getting some recognition for her new skills, and she still had to prove to him that she was strong enough. But at the same time, Inuyasha was pushing at her, trying to force down the barriers she was using to keep him out of her head and that was taking more of her focus than she wanted to spare.  
  
Frustrated, she snarled out at Inuyasha, "Goddammit, Inuyasha, this is my challenge!"  
  
Inuyasha stumbled back in surprise at the vehemence in her voice, his brows lowering in a scowl when he could practically feel the amusement in his brother, "Not a chance in hell, Kagome! You don't even know what a challenge is!"  
  
Kagome blinked, momentarily distracted as she admitted to herself that he was right. How had she known to say that? Shaking her head in irritation at the return of her confusion, she retreated more into her instincts and bared her teeth at him, "I'm not weak. I don't need your help, hanyou."  
  
Sesshoumaru let a smirk grace his lips, flexing his clawed hand as his body tensed to continue, "You heard your mate, hanyou. This is a youkai challenge, and unlike you, your mate seems to know how to honor that."  
  
Inuyasha let out an enraged shout as his brother blurred forward and clashed with Kagome, and yet... rather than fall under the assault, Kagome ducked the first slash of his deadly claws. Swearing blackly when the two of them locked together, spinning in an effort to force the other to lose ground, he slammed the Tetsusaiga back into its sheath. The two were too close for him to use the sword without accidentally catching Kagome in the process.  
  
'Dammit, couldn't that bitch have run into ANYONE but him?!' his hands curled into fists as he tensed and waited for a chance to get in between them. Kagome was blocking him out on purpose, but he had seen the hurt she was trying to mask with anger. And it would take a complete moron not to see that she was deep in the control of his youkai blood, once again looking and feeling like she didn't have a drop of human blood in her body.  
  
Inuyasha blinked, feeling an unwelcome flash of pride when Kagome smashed the back of her hand across Sesshoumaru's face and knocked him to one side. Was this what the voice had meant? It was a tangible thing this time, watching Kagome as he felt her aura block his and pull on his brother. The youki weakened in the exact same degree that Kagome's rose, and her eyes glazed under the force of her instincts.  
  
'It's like he's fighting against himself,' he snarled instinctively when Sesshoumaru caught her by the throat and flung her through a particularly large tree. 'A short, female him,' he corrected grimly, amending that Sesshoumaru still had a hefty advantage of height and reach, and biting back his desire to rush in and take his brother apart for hurting her. If he interrupted now, she might run before he had a chance to stop her.  
  
Kagome let out a shriek of outrage as she reared back to her feet, hissing as she shook off the slight haziness and clashed with him again. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed grimly when the undertone of enticement under her scent grew incrementally stronger, and he broke contact to leap across the clearing.  
  
This just wouldn't do.  
  
He was enjoying the fight immensely, delighting in the ability to actually let go and still find his skills challenged. It was even more fun than fighting with Inuyasha, but unfortunately, she was too close to fertility. The blood smell was obviously teasing her instincts if the scent was even starting to affect him. But couldn't just back out of the fight... Sesshoumaru flicked the blood from his claws and focused inward, prepared to end their attack in one sharp action.  
  
"Wait, no-!" Inuyasha yelled when he felt Sesshoumaru's power shift, his eyes going wide and bleeding scarlet as his lips pulled back on his fangs in a violent snarl. Kagome was absorbing and he was going to try changing forms?!  
  
Kagome's spine arched, her eyes going wide when the wild excess of energy arrowed through her. Sesshoumaru was putting out power in waves, each one caught and absorbed as quickly as it came off him. She stumbled backwards, clutching both hands over her heart as the muscles in her legs gave out, dropping her unceremoniously to her knees.  
  
Something inside her was on fire, clawing at her heart and pulling bone and tendon with so much force she felt like she'd be ripped apart any second. 'Why isn't this attack absorbing?!' Kagome's mind raced frantically, blood seeping from her lips as she set her jaw against the urge to scream. Was she not pulling hard enough?  
  
Kirara cleared the trees in time to see Inuyasha slam full force against Sesshoumaru's back, Kagome's head thrown back as she finally screamed, the sound shattering the stillness of the night and echoing off the distant mountains before it was thrown back at them with enough force that even the humans cringed.  
  
Sesshoumaru was startled enough that his attempt to transform died instantly, but with the retreat of the change, he staggered and fell to one knee. His eyes went wide in alarm at the weakness that swept through him, snarling at himself in disgust as he forced his protesting body to rise. How could he have possibly lost so much energy with a simple attempt at transforming to his full form? He should have felt stronger after that, not drained and groggy. Snarling, he swung about in a search for something to vent his frustrations on, hoping to restore the lost power before Kagome attacked again.  
  
Inuyasha happened to be the closest target, finding himself the recipient for the weakened youkai's anger when an elbow rammed into his stomach with enough force to send him to the ground gasping for air.  
  
Sesshoumaru was reaching down to grab the hanyou by the back of the neck when a wave of heat suddenly rolled down his spine, his instincts bristling a deeply rooted warning through his awareness. Startled, he looked up to see Kagome pushing herself to her feet with effort, almost as if sometime in the past few moments her body had grown too heavy for her to lift easily. This time she was moving.. his eyes narrowed in speculation, like she was intoxicated somehow?  
  
Kagome stared down at her claws, blinking as she stumbled slightly before catching her balance and looking up to give flash him a cruel smile. Even the slight, nagging pains she'd been feeling a moment ago had vanished, leaving behind the most amazing heat and strength that continued to spill over her aura and pulsate in the air around her. It was too much... this amount of youki rushing through her, but it felt too good to let him have it back so soon.  
  
She blinked when her vision seemed to swim for a moment, lifting a hand to her head when her body gave a heavy pulse. She took a deep breath, pressing a hand against her stomach when the muscles twitched and spasmed uncomfortably, 'Dammit, I don't feel the others, why this? How hard did he hit me?' She tried to shake off the bizarre fluttering, forcing her mind to pull the anger back to the forefront of her emotions as she growled at the agitated youkai.  
  
Inuyasha's eyes went wide and his attention snapped to Kagome in disbelief when a very unmistakable scent curled around her, "Oh hell..."  
  
"Control your bitch, or I'll do it for you!" Sesshoumaru barked at him in irritation as he watched Kagome slide down into a taut crouch. He'd been afraid of this. The signs had been there, but he hadn't been expecting them and it was his own error that he even began the fight in the first place. Without control, her instincts would be going wild with the smell of blood and adrenaline, picking up on the agitation in both himself and Inuyasha. They would force her into an early heat if he let this continue.  
  
Inuyasha took a step back in confusion, blinking as his mind processed Sesshoumaru's sharp order so soon after identifying the enticement curling into Kagome's scent, "What the-?"  
  
"We're not done yet, onii-sama," Kagome growled deep in her throat, determinedly steadying herself against the dizzying rush and flicking a quick glare to Inuyasha. She could already feel it... Inuyasha was reaching for her with his aura again, trying much harder this time as he attempted to soothe the anger she had been blocking from him. She huffed in annoyance at having to waste more of Sesshoumaru's borrowed power just to dispel that calming sensation.  
  
Inuyasha felt Kagome close herself off, turning his attention to take in the way she was weaving unsteadily, her eyes glassy and unfocused, "Dammit! Kagome, you have to calm down!"  
  
"Not on your life," her eyes narrowed sharply as she swung her gaze from the brothers over to where Kirara had deposited Sango and Miroku, both looking tense and ready to aid if they could. Would they agree with Inuyasha? Did they think she should give this up too? "I'm going to prove it to you that I'm good enough to be a youkai! I'm good enough to be your mate," her voice lowered to a pained hiss and she launched herself at Sesshoumaru again.  
  
Despite his weakened state, Sesshoumaru managed to dodge a little more easily than he had before. Kagome had almost slipped at that last moment, the force of her swinging claws almost sending her toppling over onto Inuyasha even as it ripped up the ground in front of her with ground-shaking pressure. She barely managed to right herself and dart away from him to focus on Sesshoumaru's bland face.  
  
Inuyasha was gaping at her in disbelief, catching hold of her the farthest thing from his mind at the moment. She had NEVER been that strong, not even when he'd lost control and transformed himself, but she had even less control over it. She was fighting sloppy.. His brows suddenly snapped together when he replayed her words in his mind, realizing just why she was being so stubborn about not obeying him.  
  
"What the fuck have you been saying to her?!" Inuyasha roared at his half brother, his eyes sparking with anger at the insinuation behind Kagome's words.  
  
Sesshoumaru just barely tamped down the urge to scowl at the hanyou, annoyed with himself for letting his physical weakening bring his emotions to the surface, "I am not the one who cannot accept that there is youkai blood in her. I, Sesshoumaru, am protecting the strength of father's bloodlines."  
  
"I never rejected her blood," Inuyasha clenched his fists at the censure in the youkai's voice.  
  
Dodging Kagome yet again, he rushed at Inuyasha, catching his throat the same way he had hers before and lifting him off the ground, "Then why was she running away from you?"  
  
Inuyasha grabbed his wrist, digging his claws into the skin and trying to force the chokehold loose. As much as he hated to admit it to Sesshoumaru, something in his tone demanded an explanation and he grudgingly responded, "She can't control the blood yet. If she's confused, she runs."  
  
The two were rather abruptly ripped apart when Kagome fisted one hand in Inuyasha's haori, yanking him backwards as she knocked Sesshoumaru's wrist away with the heel of her foot. She released him almost as fast as she caught him, throwing him back towards Sango and Miroku carelessly.  
  
"Leave Inuyasha alone, Sesshoumaru," she scowled meaningfully and glanced behind her to make sure the three of them weren't hurt. "And you!" she pointed a clawed hand back at the scowling hanyou. "Don't even try getting close to me until I'm done with this!"  
  
Sesshoumaru arched one brow curiously at that and he tilted his head to regard the pair of them. Kagome had been taking great care to stay out of his brother's reach, and he'd have to be a weakling not to feel the way their youki were clashing together; Inuyasha's trying to wrap around his mate while hers pushed him away. What kind of bond has the hanyou used to tie the transformed human to him? Not even he knew magic strong enough for that kind of spell.  
  
"Fuck that, Kagome, you aren't using your head!" Inuyasha snarled back at her, jumping to his feet and looking for all the world like he was getting ready to pounce.  
  
To his growing amusement, Kagome leapt up into the trees, putting Sesshoumaru between herself and Inuyasha, baring her teeth at him before her gaze dropped back to the older youkai, "Not until I'm finished."  
  
Sesshoumaru was ready when she jumped at him again, instinctive defending and attacking while his attention focused behind him on Inuyasha and his human companions. Now he was even more curious than before, and it seemed like the best way to gather the information he wanted was to focus on the murmuring voices obviously trying to avoid Kagome's attention.  
  
"Inuyasha, is there a way we could distract her while she's so focused on fighting Sesshoumaru?" Miroku studied the two youkai moving together almost like a dance. Kagome's eyes had gone glassy again, her face determined as she dodged and attacked, but Sesshoumaru almost seemed distracted. They were occassionally hitting each other, but the blows were obviously superficial. "You can push the excess energy out like you did with Kouga and Naraku, ne?"  
  
"Aa," Inuyasha nodded, his eyes following her tensely.  
  
Sango shook her head, "Inuyasha... when she's close to you and she loses her control it seems like... like she doesn't want you to push out the youkai energy she's absorbing."  
  
"I know that," he growled angrily. "When she's not pushing me out of her head, I can feel her. She likes having the extra strength, and she knows it goes away when she's balancing with me."  
  
"Maybe if we force her this way she won't notice?" Sango's hand tensed on the handle of her weapon and she eyed the best possible path for a shot.  
  
Inuyasha shook his head, grabbing her wrist to stop her, "She'll run."  
  
"Why don't you subdue her?" Miroku whacked the hanyou lightly with the staff for overlooking such an obvious solution.  
  
"While she's fighting Sesshoumaru?!" Inuyasha rounded on him, yanking the staff out of his startled grip and snarling angrily. "Are you fucking insane? He'd slice her in half!"  
  
Sesshoumaru caught Kagome's wrist, yanking her forward and pinning her up against his chest. Balancing, absorbing, and subduing... Their words suggested that if Inuyasha could catch hold of Kagome, she'd lose her ability to draw away his energy. He could understand why she would fight against that, but he wanted to see the other side of the spell.  
  
Kagome was snarling, pulling violently against his hold while he vaguely heard Inuyasha scream with outrage behind him. As much as he hated to be the one to help Inuyasha, the hanyou's mate was a full youkai, and only another youkai was strong enough for this fight. Especially when that female was fluctuating with such an enticing scent.  
  
Inuyasha needed his mate distracted, did he?  
  
Sesshoumaru let the briefest of smirks cross his lips as he turned, grabbing Kagome's chin and forcing her face up. His gaze slid sideways to Inuyasha as he dipped his head and pressed his mouth hard to hers. 


	52. Darkest before Dawn

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi....  
  
A\N: BWAH HAHAHAHAH!! Sometimes it just feels SO good to be evil... ^___~ I know a lot of you are probably terrified right about now (Laz, honey, I'm looking at you), but have a little faith in the evil puppy! *grins* I do have to take a moment to apologize to anyone who's emailed me lately, my account did something bizarre and I think I lost most of my mail. If you sent me something and I haven't answered, just let me know... I really am sorry about that. Also, my website is still active and the layout has been changed. If the link isn't working, try pasting the address to the browser window and it'll work. The website has the full fic, as FF.N has the new rule against NC-17 portions. The lemon parts of the story are absent and you'll have to go to the website for the full version. (Standard NC-17 disclaimers apply) Now then... I simply have to lavish affection on each of my beautiful reviewers. Every time I look I have people giving me the most wonderful compliments and I simply can't tell you how much I adore all of you enough. Everything from being called a goddess to having some of the most bizarre threats if I don't update. *giggles* I quite simply love you all. Now then... *cracks knuckles* I know you all wanted this....  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Darkest before Dawn....  
  
  
  
Kagome's mind instantly went completely and totally blank.  
  
The blood drained from her face, eyes widening in pure shock and every muscle in her body going tense at the feel of Sesshoumaru's lips moving like warm silk over her own.  
  
The youkai's kiss was leisurely, practiced and explorative when her jaw went slack in surprise, giving him a chance to very briefly, almost absently tap his tongue against hers.  
  
Kagome's heart lurched painfully in her chest, the tattoo at her hip fairly exploding with heat that raced through her body with staggering force. Inuyasha's presence shattered through her enhanced barriers as if they were nonexistent, and if she'd thought her own emotions had been intense, she was in for a rude awakening. Never in her life had she been so very enraged or even thought any creature, let alone Inuyasha, could feel such a soul crushing sensation. It had happened so fast, and the last of her conscious thought melted under a wave of instinctive response.  
  
Sesshoumaru was abruptly shoved back when Kagome slammed her forearm across his chest, following it immediately with a punch square to the face using all of the mingled strength she could pull from both brothers.  
  
The youkai didn't have the chance to connect with the trees behind him, a clawed hand curling around his neck to stop the backward momentum and redirect it into the ground beneath him in a blinding rush.  
  
"I'm going to tear your heart out with my bare hands, you fucking bastard!!" Inuyasha snarled violently, claws and fangs lengthening murderously as he released Sesshoumaru and leapt back protectively in front of his shaking mate. "Get up!" he demanded, shooting a warning glare to Kagome as she sunk down in a taut crouch, claws raking furrows in the disrupted soil.  
  
Sesshoumaru shot away from them both, blurring as a sweep of his youki poured back into him and restored a large portion of his strength. Confused, he looked first to Kagome, taking in the animalistic glaze to her glowing eyes and frowning at the wild aura that curled around her just outside her taut form. It was disturbingly reminiscent of what he had felt from Inuyasha... when the hanyou lost control.  
  
His gaze snapped around to Inuyasha and for the first time in decades, Sesshoumaru was utterly shocked.  
  
Inuyasha was standing regally, in front and to the side of his mate, but as surprising as that stance was, it wasn't what made his eyes widen. Inuyasha's narrowed eyes has changed drastically, crimson and azure, his face striped and all traces of human blood gone from his scent as if they'd never been. Yet this time, his eyes were bright with intelligence and deadly with rage, clear and sharp.  
  
His little brother was a youkai.  
  
Sesshoumaru's speculating gaze shifted between the growling pair quickly, his mind working in an effort to understand just what had happened. Was it because of his bitch that he could do this? Something in this human's blood or soul that strengthened the hanyou's body to accept full blood? More importantly, did something in her contain that mindless bloodlust that had over taken him before?  
  
Inuyasha had paused just long enough to ensure he had a tight enough hold on Kagome's aura to keep her at least close to the path before he let his banked rage flare coldly in his gaze and faced Sesshoumaru. "I don't know what the fuck you were thinking when you dared to put you filthy hands on MY mate, Sesshoumaru, but you're going to regret it for the rest of your considerably shortened life, you fucking bastard!" he roared and shot forward.  
  
Inuyasha's first slash of claws roughly caught his shoulder, slicing through muscle and tendon to scrape against bone. The second he blocked, but just barely, sliding backwards with his eyes gleaming as he reassessed the fight before him. If he had understood correctly, without Inuyasha catching her, Kagome was absorbing youki. But she would balance the skill with the hanyou instead of draining from him. Now that Sesshoumaru knew the feeling, he could tell Kagome was still pulling enough of his energy that he barely felt like he had half his normal strength.  
  
If he wasn't mistaken though, Inuyasha was stronger than ever. He was under the control of his youkai blood... but he hadn't lost his mind... And worse, the youki swirling around them suggested Kagome was unconsciously feeding the stolen power she couldn't hold into him. The two of them made a dangerous pair like this; Inuyasha had the control and the skill, while Kagome was adding to his already impressive brute strength and keeping his mind clear.  
  
Sesshoumaru couldn't help but be impressed.  
  
Kagome rocked forward on the balls of her feet, her eyes narrowing as she watching Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru fight. Before she could move to rejoin the dueling, however, she sensed a small presence, the familiar aura heightening her protective instincts. Her thoughts redirected, pulling on the other youkai's control to bring her back to a measure of lucidity a moment before she felt the light weight land on her shoulder. She turned to look at the concerned kitsune before her gaze slid to the side to find her human friends running closer, unfazed by her transformed shape.  
  
Shippo was lightly brushing his hands over her cheek, trying to see for himself if she had been seriously injured fighting against the cold youkai, "Okaa-san, are you okay?! What happened? Why were you fighting Sesshoumaru?"  
  
"Kagome-sama," Miroku knelt at her side, uncertain as to what they should be doing, if anything to Kagome with Inuyasha in his youkai state. Inuyasha was angry, but Kagome didn't seem to be as effected by that as she had been previously. Perhaps her control was improving? Grimly he shook off the thoughts and held out a hand to help her stand, feeling her tense and try to push herself up, "How badly are you hurt?"  
  
"That bastard is stealing my fight," Kagome hissed in annoyance, ignoring the question from both the kitsune and the monk, but accepting the hand to pull herself to her feet. "It's my fucking challenge!" she reached up absently to pat Shippo on the head when he let out a grunt of distress.  
  
"Inuyasha's trying to protect you, Kagome-chan," Sango watched in surprise as Inuyasha managed to catch his brother's wrist and throw him back several feet.  
  
Kagome's ears flattened back and she shook her head with a disgusted snort, "He's just pissed off." She tapped a clawed hand on her hip, "I can feel him. He's not letting me push him out this time, and I'm trying. He thinks I'll just give the fight to him because that sonofabitch kissed me."  
  
Sango set a hand on her tense shoulder, concerned at the way the girl was spasmodically clenching and unclenching her clawed hands. She was taking deep, panting breaths, obviously restraining herself with effort when she wanted nothing more than to rush into the middle of them and quite possibly take both brothers apart.  
  
"Shit!" Kagome's fangs flashed in a snarl, looping her arms around both Sango and Miroku and yanking them backwards when Inuyasha came crashing down where they had been standing. Shippo hid himself in her hair with a squeak while she yelled out in frustration, "Goddammit, Inuyasha, watch what you're doing!"  
  
"Bitch, you'd better be grateful I'm doing this!" Inuyasha snapped back as he rolled to his feet. "You'll be lucky if I don't take my time beating you bloody after pulling this shit! AGAIN!!"  
  
Sesshoumaru smirked with mocking amusement, brushing his hair back over his shoulder, "What more could she expect from a bastard hanyou like you. It's no wonder she ran away; her youkai blood searches for a mate strong enough to control her."  
  
Kagome clutched at her heart when Inuyasha swore more violently than ever and attacked his brother again with renewed force. Saved from falling only by Sango and Miroku, she sucked in several deep breaths in an effort to dispel the sudden, overwhelming feeling. She felt a rush of heat snake down her spine, her vision spotting for a moment and then oddly bleeding red. She growled, rubbing at her eyes and then blinking, but the stubborn red haze refused to dissipate. Her eyes narrowed when the calm and restraint she had pulled from Sesshoumaru began to fade with every heartbeat until the anger radiating through both youkai swamped her and shattered the fragile hold of her fraying control.  
  
"Stay behind me," she barely managed to grind out, all but knocking the breath out of Sango with how hard she thrust the kitsune into her arms.  
  
"Wait! You must stay calm! Kagome-sama!" Miroku tried to reach out a hand to stop her, but she had already shot between the startled youkai.  
  
One minute, Inuyasha was ducking to avoid Sesshoumaru, and the next, pain exploded across the side of his face. Shocked at the unexpected attack, he reared up to find Kagome crouched over a fallen Sesshoumaru, hissing as her claws glowed vivid green with his own poison.  
  
His eyes flared dark with anger and he darted forward, fully intending to rip her away from the fight and finish it on his own, "Sta-"  
  
Kagome swung back, the back of her fist cracking against the side of his face and killing the word before it could be completed to work its magic. Satisfied when Inuyasha crashed heavily to the ground, she turned her attention back to Sesshoumaru.  
  
Inuyasha stayed where he was, panting heavily and eyes huge with shock, 'She knew I was going to subdue her. She hit me on purpose, just to stop me...'  
  
Sesshoumaru caught Kagome's wrists, holding her back even as he frowned, 'She's changed again. Her eyes... they're filled with the same mindless need to fight as Inuyasha's had been. Damn.'  
  
Her lips quirked in a tiny smile as she leaned closer to him, planting her knee in his wounded stomach and pressing her weight into it, "You started this, youkai. Don't disappoint me like the hanyou did."  
  
Inuyasha snapped out of his daze when he caught the growled whisper, shooting to his feet and spinning around in time to see Sesshoumaru bring his knees against Kagome's back and pitch her over his head. Kagome crashed to the ground in a rolling tumble, somehow righting herself before she stopped and skidding to a crouched halt. He had barely taken a step towards her when her cold gaze turned almost casually and pinned him to the spot.  
  
Kagome's eyes were heavy-lidded... disturbingly intense and taunting, her lips quirked off her fangs in a smirk as her hair lifted in the late breeze. She was challenging him with that look, but... there was no recognition in her eyes.  
  
"What the hell?" Inuyasha murmured more to himself than anyone else when a shiver of excitement rolled down his spine.  
  
Sesshoumaru had risen to his feet, careful to not make a sudden move and set off the girl teetering on the brink of her instincts. He couldn't prevent the growl of annoyance that escaped him, as he looked from the still girl to his brother, "You idiot. Can't you even smell when your own mate is about to cycle?"  
  
Inuyasha went stiff, shooting his brother a look filled with reluctant curiosity beneath the simmering rage, "She's not due for a week."  
  
Sesshoumaru didn't even bother restraining his urge to backhand his youkai brother and send him to the ground, "Your bitch is a youkai, not a human. Are you truly that ignorant of the blood?"  
  
Kagome let out a throaty purr that turned their attention, her muscles obviously tensing as she sunk down into an even deeper crouch. She was staring at the two youkai, watching their mouths move, but all she could hear was the rush of her own heartbeat in her ears, pulsing with the red haze coloring her sight. They were boring... why weren't the fighting? She pushed herself to her feet, claws tensing as she tried to decide which one to attack first.  
  
Inuyasha's brows lowered angrily when he watched her eyes slide to Sesshoumaru, his lips pulling back in a snarl, "Kagome...!"  
  
She giggled, holding up two fingers as the claws tipping both began to glow. Sesshoumaru's brows lowered in annoyance, mimicking her action as she lashed out with the glowing whip of energy. The two clashed together and crackled as they wrapped around each other and pulled taut. Inuyasha darted forward, ducking under the whip as Kagome twisted to break it free and snap it around at him.  
  
Inuyasha caught her stomach with his shoulder, tackling her to the ground, "Snap out of it, you bitch!"  
  
Kagome rammed her forehead against his, throwing him off and grabbing onto the front of Sesshoumaru's kimono. She gave a hard yank, pulling the youkai off his feet and sending him crashing into Inuyasha. Her lips pulled back in a cold smirk as she watched them break apart, absently scuffling, more out of habit than real desire to fight each other before they faced her warily.  
  
Inuyasha clenched his hands into fists, "Sta-!"  
  
Once again Kagome cut off the word before it could do damage, the whip forming in an instant and snapping forcefully across his face to send him spinning head over heels to the ground. Sesshoumaru took advantage of the distraction, blurring forward and grabbed her wrist with one hand and her throat with the other.  
  
Kagome was snarling, poison flowing freely from her hands over Sesshoumaru's uneffected flesh. He smirked and lifted her higher, looking over his shoulder at his enraged brother, "Shall I distract her again, Inuyasha?"  
  
Inuyasha shoved himself to his feet, his eyes blazing as he completely forgot the rage and pain that had gone through him to know Kagome was purposefully killing his attempts to subdue her. His face and shoulder burned from the poison as he stared at Sesshoumaru's amused expression, his blood fairly boiling with hateful rage. "Get your hands off her!" he crouched and leapt forward, claws poised to rend his brother into shreds.  
  
Kagome twisted, cracking her heel against Sesshoumaru's cheek and gaining her release in time to dart out of Inuyasha's newest attempt to grab her. She was getting so hot.... but every time she attacked, the pressure would ease just enough that she felt good again. She could feel her heart accelerate when Inuyasha opened his mouth, and something in her insisted she stop him from saying whatever it was he was trying to say.  
  
Sesshoumaru was more fun to fight with. He wasn't trying to stop her, but she sensed that he was holding back when before he had been much more open. Why wasn't he attacking with everything?  
  
Inuyasha was fuming.  
  
His eyes gleamed with deadly anger as he regarded the almost smug grin on Kagome's face, "Oh, little girl, you're going to regret this when I get my hands on you."  
  
Sesshoumaru regarded his growling brother and couldn't resist taunting, "What's wrong, Inuyasha? Even when she makes you a youkai, you aren't good enough to make her obey? Even the weakest youkai knows how to control their mate."  
  
Inuyasha slammed his elbow into Sesshoumaru's face, grabbing his throat and pinning him to the ground, "It your fault she's like this, you asshole!"  
  
"Inuyasha!" Miroku called, casting a glance at where Sango stood poised with the Hiraikotsu. "Kagome-sama's aura is fluctuating too drastically! She's still pulling from both your emotions... This has to stop!"  
  
Kagome turned her head, baring her teeth at the interuption. Her head was starting to pound again and she shook it fiercely in an effort to clear both it and her swimming vision.  
  
Inuyasha almost smacked himself in the head for his own stupidity, glaring over his shoulder where Kagome weaved unsteadily on her feet. Her body was wounded and exhausted, but she was drawing in enough to ignore it. For as tangled as her aura appeared to be, her thoughts were strangely smooth, but then again, she was only interested in the fight. He just hadn't been paying enough attention to what her youkai blood was telling her to do.  
  
"This has indeed been allowed to progress too long," Sesshoumaru kicked Inuyasha off him casually and rose to his feet. "Your mate is out of control," his brows lowered in disapproval, "but what more can one expect from a hanyou."  
  
Inuyasha got back to his feet, lashing out, but barely catching a glancing blow across his back as Sesshoumaru closed the space between himself and the youkai girl again... Or would have if the massive boomerang hadn't torn up the ground in front of him and made him dodge back. Kagome's hand snaked out and caught the handle, the weight of the thing dragging her back as she turned towards the exterminator.  
  
She had just tensed to fling the thing back when an arm snaked around her waist, but that wasn't nearly as shocking as the sensation of fangs sinking deep into the nape of her neck.  
  
Kagome arched, letting out a scream of fury as she dropped the heavy boomerang and attempted to shake off the restricting hold. She felt the growl vibrate through her back, the teeth biting down harder and a second arm wrapping around her arms to pin her in place as they dropped to the ground.  
  
Inuyasha ignored Sesshoumaru's curious stare, closing his eyes and focusing only on the struggling girl pinned down in his lap. He could feel her heart thundering through her back against his chest, his aura sliding into hers easily and taking a firm hold as he forced Sesshoumaru's youki out.  
  
Sesshoumaru regained his stoic mask in slow degrees, each pulse of the aura around the pair sending a warm wave of strength and control seeping back into him. His eyes burned curiously into Kagome's own as the glow dimmed steadily, the glassy look slowly leaving as she panted under Inuyasha's hold. 'So this is what they meant by balancing,' he mused as the wild look completely left her gaze. 'Inuyasha is forcing her to release the energy.'  
  
Inuyasha slowly eased the hold on her neck when he felt the ripple slide down her spine, resting his mouth beside her ear as he kept a suspicious glare on Sesshoumaru, "Don't fight me, Kagome. You know better than to try pushing me out when you're like this."  
  
Kagome panted, trying for a moment to cling to the draining strength, but the soothing stroke of Inuyasha's soul against hers was restoring her clarity. With every pulse she knew it was a futile effort and she slowly slumped back against him, finally able to blink away the red haze that had filled her vision.  
  
"Damn you," Kagome growled in a whisper, dropping her head as helpless tears slipped down her cheeks. "You should have let me go, Inuyasha," she awkwardly shifted her shoulders, wrapping her arms around her aching stomach. Something was wrong... She knew her stomach SHOULD hurt, after that hit she'd taken from Sesshoumaru, but... This wasn't exactly pain....  
  
"Interesting," Sesshoumaru murmured thoughtfully, his face cold and arrogant, but to Inuyasha's growling displeasure, his eyes warmed when they touched on Kagome. She was strong, stronger than most of the youkai he had come across. And that skill of hers would only improve over time... provided his idiot brother actually taught his mate discipline.  
  
"Leave, Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha's eyes still gleamed violently, arms tightening around Kagome possessively. "If you aren't gone by the time she calms down, I'll rip out your throat," he promised darkly.  
  
He snorted, completely ignoring the threat as he glided close to the pair; this Kagome would not be allowed to run wild so long as he was Lord of the Western Lands. Letting out a soft growl that drew Kagome's gaze upwards in an instant, he captured her scarlet gaze and held it with ease, "You will learn control, bitch."  
  
Kagome bristled in annoyance, but Inuyasha vocalized the irritation much more directly, "You've no rights to give her orders, bastard!"  
  
"If you intend to be worthy of my father's blood, you must prove yourself," Sesshoumaru continued, completely unperturbed by the snarl. "If the hanyou cannot teach you, I, Sesshoumaru, will have to do so.... And you will not find me an easy instructor, little youkai," he watched the surprise flicker deep in her eyes, her emotions humming close to the surface. In that moment, he saw something that nearly made him smile.  
  
Determination.  
  
And respect.  
  
"You won't get a chance to get within thirty feet of her after what you've done," Inuyasha hissed, his fists clenching with his desire to leap up and finish ripping his brother to pieces. The only thing that stopped him was knowing that if he let go of Kagome now, she'd likely slip right back into her youkai instincts and it had been hard enough to catch her this time. What if Sesshoumaru was right and they really were forcing her into an early, wild heat? He couldn't take that risk.  
  
Sesshoumaru finally looked at Inuyasha, snorting in disgust, "If you neglect your mate, you will not have her long, Inuyasha. She is a youkai. If you don't learn to accept that, she will run."  
  
Inuyasha frowned, shaking his head in confusion at Sesshoumaru's words. His brother's voice as condescending and emotionless as ever, but the words... "What the hell are you talking about?!"  
  
His eyes had already left the confused hanyou, returning to the girl slowly regaining control of herself, "I have no doubt that I will soon have many more responsibilites because of you. Your time is close and my brother is too young to restrain himself."  
  
Now it was Kagome's turn to look confused and she shook her head, "I don't... understand..."  
  
"I, Sesshoumaru, am now watching you... Kagome," Sesshoumaru took a step back, his eyes connecting with hers to pass along a silent message. His earlier words of challenge easily read in his eyes, 'Prove it to this Sesshoumaru.'  
  
Kagome stared after him as he turned and walked away just as casually as if the fighting had never happened. Her hand lifted to press over her chest, feeling the burn and pulse of her wounds, 'Control. Sesshoumaru... wants me to learn control...? But that just... doesn't make sense!'  
  
Inuyasha's growl at her back brought her attention back as his hand lifted and covered hers, his claws pressing to her healing flesh, "You have no idea how much trouble you're in right now, Kagome..." 


	53. Through My Eyes

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi.....  
  
A/N: *particularly evil puppy laughter* Oh lord does it feel SO good to be evil! I can't say I'm sorry I've managed to terrify so many of you, but well, it is nice to know that everyone is nervous. And yet again, I'm managed to have a few reviewers pick up on some of the more subtle plot points along the way and I'm getting some wonderfully insightful reviews... This, of course, brings me to the part where I shower you all with my complete and undying admiration. *giggling* Yet again a new flood of threats! Everything from my lovely regulars to PJB and Saya organizing an evil spork army. And even something new! Kaiyo unleashing hobbits and being sweet enough to say I have even more admirers. *blushing like crazy* I love you guys so much! You're all the greatest in the world! ^___~  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Through my eyes....  
  
  
  
Kagome heard the leashed menace in Inuyasha's voice, her ears flattening back self consciously, "Let go of me, Inuyasha."  
  
"Not on your fucking life, little girl," Inuyasha growled, rising easily to his feet with Kagome still pinned to his chest. "How dare you?" he turned her in his arm, one arm banded around her waist and the other lifting to her chin to tilt her face up. "How dare you fucking run away from me after you promised you wouldn't!?"  
  
Kagome set her jaw, her chin lifting out of his hand before she averted her face and stubbornly stayed silent.  
  
Inuyasha's hold tightened, forcing her face back, "Don't even think I'll let you behave like that, Kagome. You try pushing me right now and you're not going to like the results, understand?"  
  
Her brows lowered as she yanked hard against his hold, "What did you think I would do, Inuyasha?! I never ask you for anything and suddenly you ask me to give this up?" she gestured to herself with her chin when he refused to release her arms. "You go running off all the time when you want to be alone!" she accused hotly.  
  
"I don't go running off to attack the first youkai I come across," he hissed in answer, baring his fangs. "You know how serious it is to balance and control yourself and you STILL went jumping off and fucking attacked Sesshoumaru!! Of ALL the damn worthless youkai you could have found, you run into him! Are you really that unlucky or are you purposefully doing everything you can to piss me off?"  
  
"I didn't know I was going to run into him!" Kagome hissed defensively, her brows drawing together when her knees shook slightly. 'Damn... I'm starting to feel it,' her fingers curled in his haori, holding her steady against him. She didn't feel quite as tired as she had the other times, but she could feel the blackness teasing just at the edge of her consciousness as the pain turning into a nagging throb through her injuries.  
  
"If you hadn't, would you still be running?" Inuyasha bent, lifting her effortlessly in his arms and stalking past the others as though they weren't even there on his way back to the campsite. "Is Sesshoumaru the only reason you stopped?"  
  
"And if I say yes?" she grumbled in annoyance, folding her arms over her chest.  
  
Inuyasha's lip curled back off his fangs and his eyes blazed down at her averted face, "Goddammit, you promised me that no matter what you wouldn't run away again, Kagome!"  
  
"I said I wouldn't leave you, not that I wouldn't run," she shivered faintly, eyes closing as she tried to hold back the memory filling her thoughts at the reminder. She breathed a few choice curses under her breath when she felt her heart lurch and then warmly pulse in time to the tattoo as his aura cracked through the last of her barriers and rebalanced.  
  
Inuyasha's growl momentarily changed to one of satisfaction, his hands tightening to lift her higher against his chest, "That's better. It really is getting easier every time you make me do it this way."  
  
Kagome blushed, well aware of why his hands had gone from tense to faintly stroking and growled herself to banish the mental images. She could feel the youkai blood calm, blinking to clear her eyes when she could actually feel them changing back, "I wanted to be alone, Inuyasha. I wanted to think and running seemed like a good way to keep from getting angry."  
  
"Don't bullshit me, Kagome," Inuyasha snorted, glancing back to be certain Miroku and Sango were holding Shippou back before he leaped into the trees to distance them and gain some privacy. "You were already pissed off before you ran or you wouldn't have hit me... or changed," he frowned down at her. "Miroku told me you were like this before you started running."  
  
Kagome made a mental note to throttle the monk later, "I had to get away, Inuyasha."  
  
"You were running away from me," his voice dared her to deny that after all the proof he had that it was the truth. He dropped back down into the clearing, his anger returning steadily with the continuing silence from the still girl in his arms. Setting her on her feet again, he braced her up against one of the trees, but retained his hold on her wrist in a vice-like grip, "Answer me, Kagome. I'm trying damn hard to be patient but you're making it very difficult."  
  
"What would you have done in my place, hn?" Kagome snapped up at him, tugging ineffectually against his hold and planting her other hand on the sturdy trunk at her back. "You were standing there, happy as you please, telling me that we're going to get disconnected! Was I supposed to thank you?!"  
  
"I was not!" Inuyasha barked back at her, his own temper snapping at the accusation that he'd actually "enjoyed" telling her about what the voice had said.  
  
Kagome kept going, too tired to reign in the hurt and stop the words tumbling freely from her, "Do you even care why I ran? Why I was fighting with Sesshoumaru? Contrary to what you seem to think, I wasn't fighting with that pompous asshole on purpose."  
  
"You lost control and-"  
  
"No!"she slapped her free hand hard against his chest, the unexpected action sending him back a step before he regained his footing and stared at her shimmering eyes in surprise. "I DIDN'T lost control when I ran, OR when I ran into him, baka! Sesshoumaru challenged me. He accused me of being too weak to be a youkai, or to be your mate, and challenged me to prove to him that I wasn't."  
  
"What?!" Inuyasha yanked her forward, the anger redirecting to his brother. What the hell was he thinking saying something like that when he had to have known, or at least sensed she wouldn't be able to resist. Sesshoumaru might be a lot of things, but unobservant wasn't one of them.  
  
"He challenged me to prove I was strong enough for your family, strong enough to mate with you," her eyes were blazing in weary frustration as she ground out a repeat of her explanation. "That I could be a youkai-"  
  
"That sonofa-!"  
  
"Dammit, Inuyasha, I've been trying to do that on my own!" Kagome cut him off again, but this time her voice held a flat, heavy edge of defeat. She turned her head up and met his gaze unflichingly, "I knew exactly what I was doing."  
  
Inuyasha's eyes went wide, sucking in a sharp breath, he grabbed her face to keep her from dropping her gaze again and demanded, "You what?!"  
  
"You always said how weak and pathetic I was when I was human," her azure eyes had filled with a wealth of self directed disgust and she snorted in irritation. "Now I can be a youkai. I can be strong on my own and no one can see that! Every fucking time I fight all you want to do is stop me."  
  
Inuyasha's hand dropped to fist in her slashed kimono and drag her up until they were nose to nose, "You can't control your youkai blood, and if you think that for one second I'm going to risk you losing it completely like I did you're out of your fucking mind, bitch."  
  
"It's getting easier!" she protested, bristling over the censure in his voice that put her so distinctly in mind of Sesshoumaru's early remarks about being immature. "I haven't even known I could do this for a month, Inuyasha, and you AREN'T helping me learn how at all!"  
  
"In case you haven't noticed, every time you go over the top and lose it, we're just a little bit busy trying to keep you from getting your stubborn ass killed!" he roared at her, lifting her off the feet and pinning her against the tree with his own body weight. "It's not like I've had time to teach you how to control yourself!"  
  
"What about now?!" she grabbed his haori with both hands and yanked him forward too. "Things are settling down and all you have to say to me is 'You can be human again!' Haven't you thought for one second that I might not WANT the spell to go away? Did it ever occur to you that I don't want anything to change?"  
  
Inuyasha's mind screeched to a rather abrupt halt, jerking his head back reflexively to study her narrowed glare. 'She... doesn't want...? That can't be right!' he shook his head with a growl of miserable frustration. 'She's still youkai; she's not thinking like herself. She wanted the spell gone from the start, even Kaede-baba said so! Dammit, Kagome don't make this harder on me!'  
  
But to Kagome, he simply growled louder, clenching his fists and hissing out, "You think I don't know how my blood thinks, Kagome? You're not yourself and that's the only reason you're saying this."  
  
Kagome's eyes widened in disbelief and then narrowed sharply as her lips pulled back in a snarl, "You-you fucking bastard! You think I'm any different this way?! You think that I don't know what I'm saying?"  
  
"I know for a fact how fast you lose control," he accused in a rising yell. "Hell, Kagome, it's like you're not even trying to control yourself!"  
  
"I'm NOT!" she snapped back, catching him off guard and slamming both hands against his sternum to knock him back again. "Don't you get it? If I use the youkai blood, I can fight too! Even my miko powers work the way they're supposed to since this spell was cast. I don't feel like I'm slowing you down any more!"  
  
Inuyasha gaped at her, his eyes sweeping her as he clearly felt her draw off his strength to push back her body's exhaustion, "You... you're losing control on purpose? Bitch, are you fucking insane?!"  
  
The blue in Kagome's eyes darkened to murky purple as the scarlet mingled with it, "I LIKE being like this, Inuyasha. I fought Sesshoumaru to prove to him I could be a youkai, and I was winning. If you try to make me a human again, I'll fight you too."  
  
Inuyasha's body went stiff when he caught the enticing edge filling her scent yet again, violently cursing the fact that his own youkai blood had yet to completely settle and restore the hanyou balance when the answering thrill of excitement made his heartbeat speed up, "Calm down, Kagome. You aren't in any shape to fight and against me, you'll always lose."  
  
Kagome started to slide down into a crouch, the growl vibrating in her throat, "You're a fucking hypocrite, Inuyasha. What is it about me this way that makes you so eager to change me back?"  
  
He flexed his claws, eyes narrowing at the insult, "Hypocrite?"  
  
"I've never given half a damn what shape you were in," she raked him from head to foot, making him well aware of his own altered state. "And now you're deciding that I have to be human for you?"  
  
A flush spread over Inuyasha's face, "You never asked to get turned into... whatever the hell that spell turned you into. You aren't either one, Kagome, do you really want to live like that? Can you live like that?!"  
  
Part of Inuyasha was snarling at himself, demanding to know what the hell he was thinking, arguing with her about this when all he wanted to do was scream out his excitement that she didn't want things any different than he did. SHE didn't want to be disconnected any more than he wanted to let them be...  
  
But the youkai's accusations hung heavy in his ears. He'd always been selfish with Kagome; almost disgustingly selfish from the very start. Hell, he tried to stop her every time she tried to go home, not to mention what he'd been doing since he'd found out about the spell that tied them together.  
  
His expression darkened abruptly when he thought of his reaction to Kouga and even that human boy. She had always been his, but then she had seen him kiss Kikyou more than once. He'd even used to compare her to the miko and tell her she fell short, and yet never allowed her to search out someone else... anyone else besides him. If that wasn't the height of selfishness on his part, he didn't know what was.  
  
And what if she really wasn't thinking clearly? This could just be his blood protecting his hold on her soul, his real desire reflected through Kagome. The youkai told him he'd never seen blood as possessive as his... was it making Kagome just say what he wanted to hear?  
  
"You survived as a hanyou your entire life," she pointed out, tossing her head as she visibly trembled with her anger. "Why can't I learn to live like this?"  
  
"You'd be giving up everything you knew, dammit!" Inuyasha closed the space between them with ease, grabbing her wrists and pinning her back. "I can't let you do that, Kagome. Not when I can give your life back to you."  
  
Kagome arched, straining against his hold, "It's my body! It's my blood!"  
  
Inuyasha pinned her back again, his eyes blazing, "It's MY blood!"  
  
"Not anymore," she challenged angrily. "I can feel it, Inuyasha, it's not the same anymore."  
  
His brows rose sharply, "What?"  
  
"You're my mate, start acting like it!" Kagome reared up, her eyes shimmering as she fought to hold back tears of helpless frustration. Why was this so hard? Why couldn't he just tell her that he'd accept her no matter what? "You can fucking feel me when we balance, and you've never lost my scent. Do I smell anything like you except for as your mate?"  
  
Inuyasha reared back in momentary surprise, "What are you talking about?" She just smelled like Kagome... Why would she smell any different?  
  
Kagome didn't even stop to wonder where this was coming from, simply snapping out the knowledge her blood was steadily feeding to her, "Shippou said when we swapped that you smelled like me and I smelled like you. If this was all your blood still, why wouldn't I smell exactly like you? Or at least a mix of you and me? It's mine, Inuyasha... It's... it's changing..."  
  
Inuyasha frowned, his ears flattening back and his eyes filling with confusion and just a hint of fear. Was this something new that not even the voices had been able to predict? "How... how did you know it was changing? What changed it?" he demanded, his fingers biting into her.  
  
"I don't know!" Kagome shook her head fiercely, tears slipping down her cheeks as her breathing hitched on a restrained, frustrated sob. "Do you think any of this is easy? There are things in my head, thoughts and feelings, and I have no idea where they come from or how I know them! The only thing I know to do is listen to it and let it out!"  
  
He released her wrists, looping an arm around her waist and crushing her up against his chest and sinking his other hand into her hair, "Kagome... We can fix it. Everything can be back to normal and you won't have to worry about any of this."  
  
Kagome scowled up at him, "You still don't get it, do you? Damn, Inuyasha, how many different ways are you going to make me say the same thing?"  
  
Inuyasha set his jaw, "You aren't calm enough to be in control. I can't take the risk."  
  
Growling, her hands snaked around and caught his wrists, breaking his hold and throwing him away from her, "I'm not letting you take this away from me."  
  
He hadn't thought there would be anything Kagome could do or say right then that would seriously spark his banked temper. He was determined to ignore his own desire to keep them bound for the sake of her sanity, but ever last bit of that went sailing off on the wind when she turned, every line of her body screaming that she was about to run again.  
  
"STAY!" Inuyasha roared, slamming his fist through the tree at his side in a reflexive, physical manifestation of the rage that went pouring through him.  
  
"Sit!" she barked back, twisting her upper body to glare back at where he flattened to the ground. "You're the one who keeps reminding me how pointless this shit is now, Inuyasha, what are trying to accomplish?"  
  
Inuyasha's eyes burned into hers silently, making the growl in her throat settle out and finally quiet completely. Under that unblinking stare, she started to fidget nervously, her claws flexing against her thighs while her ears alternately flicked forward and back.  
  
"I'm surprised I even remember how to do this," he finally said, his voice low and almost painfully flat as he grabbed the sleeve of his haori, ripping off a narrow strip. "Even worse, I can't believe I was stupid enough not to do this a long time ago. We could have avoided so much of this idiocy."  
  
Kagome didn't know what was making her more nervous... the way his voice was so disturbingly calm after they'd spent so much time yelling, or the actual words themselves, "What's 'this,' Inuyasha. What are you talking about?"  
  
"Stay," he murmured almost absently when he felt the spell lifting, waiting with predatory patience for her outraged hiss and the return of his own. He fell silent again after that, keeping a firm grip on her through the connection and barely restraining a relieved smile when the anger in her started to fade beneath the curious apprehension.  
  
Kagome's brows furrowed when she felt something pulse deep and heavy in her heart, something big... and waiting tensely, "What are you doing?"  
  
Inuyasha ignored her, his ears flicking back when he caught scent of their companions returning, "Oi! Bouzu! Quit taking so long when you can finally do something useful!"  
  
Miroku's look of confusion completely matched the one on Kagome's face as Kirara landed, waiting for her passengers to dismount before reverting back to her much smaller form. Shippou was squirming in his hold, hissing and swearing in his effort to get down and go to Kagome's side, but the monk stubbornly held on, "Inuyasha?"  
  
Inuyasha huffed at Shippo in annoyance, catching the kit's gaze first, "Calm down, brat. You can see her when I'm done with this." A sudden thought hit him on the best way to gain the kitsune's agreement and his lips quirked in the barest of smug grins, "Besides, I'm going to need your help."  
  
Shippou stopped squirming, his eyes widening as he studied Inuyasha's face for a hint that he was teasing, but he seemed perfectly serious. He nodded, puffing up importantly, "What do I do?"  
  
Kagome tugged against the spell, something in the back of her mind shivering with bone-deep anxiety as she watched Inuyasha rise up on his haunches, "What do you need Miroku for?"  
  
And still he said nothing to her.  
  
Instead, he reached up, digging his claws into his shoulder until the sharp twinge of blood scented the air and made her cringe, eyes rounding in alarmed surprise. No matter how confused or angry she was, the scent and sight of an injury on him always brought every protective instinct rising to the forefront of her mind.  
  
Now was no different, and her eyes turned liquid in concern, "What the hell are you doing?!"  
  
She was on her feet the moment the spell wore off, rushing to his side and reaching up to grab his wrist and keep him from digging any deeper. Inuyasha silently caught her hand before it could reach him and stop the action, linking their fingers and yanking her into his side. He was staring at her, eyes gleaming with an intense emotion that made her shiver, while he raised his voice to Miroku, "Oi... You still have the ofuda you and Kaede-baba used when you sealed me into that hut?"  
  
Miroku blinked, reaching into his robes to remove the paper charms, "Ofuda will not work on a miko, Inuyasha. Kagome-sama destroys barriers-"  
  
"You're not sealing me into a hut, Inuyasha," Kagome shook her head, growing even more confused, and this time the youkai blood wasn't being forthcoming with the information. What in the world was he thinking?  
  
Inuyasha still refused to speak to her, turning his head to level a narrowed gaze on Miroku, "Bring them here." 


	54. From Deep Within

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
A/N:Ugh.. Been a while, hasn't it? I really am horribly sorry about that, but I promised my most kawaii imouto that I wouldn't post here until after she updated the website and she has been out of town. Not only that, but I broke my hand AND even better, had my car broken into last night and torn apart. Heh.. Big fun for the evil puppy lately.  
  
On to the MUCH more cheerful and wonderful comments. over a thousand reviews?! *faints most dramatically* I always get the best compliments from all of you, and you're so encouraging! I really can't believe it, but it just goes to show that I have got the absolute best reviewers in the whole world. ^___^ You have no idea how much I love you all.  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: From Deep Within..  
  
  
  
Miroku looked from the charms in his hands up to the glaring match between the two of them and finally to meet Sango's concerned eyes. He cleared his throat, and frowned at Inuyasha again, "Inuya-?"  
  
"Now, bouzu!"  
  
Kagome smacked him in the chest with her free hand, trying to pull her other free to check his wound as she absently growled out, "Don't be rude, Inuyasha, they have nothing to do with this."  
  
Inuyasha growled, twisting his shoulder away from her searching hands. Eyes blazing in anger, he hooked his ankle behind her knees and shoved, sending her to the ground. He was on top of her in the next second, pinning her arms down with his knees and baring his fangs at her, "Don't bitch about me being rude, Kagome, this is really not the time to accuse me of that. Be still and quit trying to run off or I'll make you."  
  
"You bastard!" Kagome snapped up at him, turning her head to bite his thigh.  
  
Inuyasha leaned down, sinking his fangs into her throat and making her suck in a sharp gasp. The vibration of the violent snarling made her tense, eyes wide at the sudden rush of blood and the lurch in her heartbeat. Her chest expanded as she held her breath, everything about him screaming at her to submit to him as the dominant and her hands fisted tight over his thighs while a faint whine escaped her in reflex.  
  
Satisfied at the sound, he slowly released the hold, swiping his tongue up the column of her throat to soothe the seeping bites. He slid forward, scraping his fangs over her cheek, then up to nip her nose before dropping his head and biting down, hard and brief on her shoulder, "You're in for a hard lesson if you try pushing right now, bitch. I'm not feeling especially forgiving. Understood?"  
  
Kagome was panting lightly, eyes wide and ears flattened back as she swallowed hard and tried to calm the unexpected pounding in her blood that was sliding down her spine to form a low, interesting pulse in her stomach. 'Why now?' she thought a little frantically, trying to shake off the beginnings of the familiar ache.  
  
Snorting at what he knew was only a temporary distraction, he threw a dark scowl over his shoulder to the hesitating monk, "Don't fucking make this more difficult, bouzu, now give them to me before she starts fighting again! I want those ofuda and I want them now!"  
  
Miroku let out a sigh, but was unwilling to take a chance of unintentionally setting them off in another round of fighting. Arguing, they could definitely take and would probably be hearing a lot of. However, Kagome did not appear to be in any condition for more fighting, despite how ready she seemed to WANT to keep trying.  
  
His expression was grim as he came closer, holding the ofuda out to Inuyasha's outstretched hand. The youkai all but ripped them away and jerked his head, clearly indicating that he wanted the monk to back away. Miroku, however, paused and looked from Inuyasha's enraged expression down to Kagome's look of shock, "What do you intend to do with those, Inuyasha?"  
  
"Something I should have done when this started," he muttered, glaring down at the little papers heating his palm. Miroku was a powerful monk, regardless of his personality flaws; even better, both he and Kagome were even stronger. The monk's skills with Kagome's miko powers on top of his youki would make this almost ridiculously easy, "Something I would have done if I'd been thinking clearly. And you're going to help me," he slanted the monk a sideways glance that dared him to argue or refuse.  
  
Miroku held up his hands in a placating gesture and nodded, "You know we will do anything we can to protect Kagome-sama."  
  
He grunted in approval before turning back to look at Kagome and capture her gaze. Despite the speed he'd used to procure them, Inuyasha's hand closed carefully around the enchanted papers as he waited for her eyes to refocus on him, "I am so goddamn sick and tired of having to keep my eyes on you like a pup, Kagome. You have absolutely no regard for how serious it is that you 'stay' calm and 'stay' close!"  
  
Kagome bared her teeth when her legs went numb under the spell's effect, Inuyasha letting his legs slide down to straddle her hips now that she had lost her inability to use her legs for leverage. She opened her mouth on a hiss to snarl at him, but he lifted the hand with the charms and smacked them hard against her nose, arching an eyebrow when she yelped and gaped at him.  
  
"Not a fucking word, not yet," he took the hand away and to her confused fascination, dragged the lower half of the ofuda stack over the blood pooling on his shoulder. "You're acting like a spoiled little girl, and worse, I've been letting you. I was so worried with keeping you calm that you've gotten even more wild than even *I* ever was. That's my fault and it's unacceptable."  
  
Her brows drew low at what she saw as an insult, but the tightening of his thighs around her hips warned her that he wasn't done. With her throat and shoulder still throbbing from the bites he'd given her, and that absolutely degrading swat to her nose, she felt it safer to let her displeasure show in a throaty growl.  
  
Inuyasha shook his head, keeping the ofuda on his shoulder with one hand and reaching down to wrap the other around her throat, "You told me to start acting like your mate, but if you really want that, then you're going to have to give me the same damn thing! Just because I haven't been disciplining you the way I should doesn't mean I won't. And that means no more of this juvenile shit unless you want the punishment that goes with it."  
  
Kagome was startled enough to fall silent, her eyes sliding away from his to where the ofuda had started to sizzle, soaking the bottom of the papers dark crimson. Inuyasha growled, his arm tightening to draw her gaze back to his, "Sesshoumaru wanted you to prove that you were strong enough-"  
  
Her shoulders hunched defensively, eyes narrowing as she cut in with a quick argument, "He was giving me a chance-!"  
  
"Don't mention anything else about him!" Inuyasha cut her off sharply, his ears flattening back as the muscles along his arms and shoulders went taut. "I can smell that bastard all over you and it's REALLY not helping me calm down, Kagome."  
  
Miroku reached out to take the ofuda away when he noticed the slight hiss it was making against the hanyou's shoulder. Cursing himself for not considering that the hanyou's youkai form would be sensitive to the ofuda's powers, he began apologetically, "Inuyasha, the binding scrolls-"  
  
"A little longer," he barked out, lifting his shoulder to block Miroku's hand the same way he had Kagome's earlier attempt. Doing his best to swallow his irritation at all the interruptions, he took a deep breath and looked back down at Kagome's flushed face, "I know exactly what I'm doing."  
  
Kagome was watching him intently, her cheek twitching as she ground her teeth in tense frustration. There was a determined glint in the murky violet of her eyes, but gratefully, they showed no sign of fully reverting. She was balanced, and she was calm enough to be controlling herself, but for how long?  
  
The youkai blood was even more volatile with how close she was to her cycle, and Sesshoumaru fighting with her, not to mention his own transformation, only excited the blood, bringing her to the edge. This was not going to be one of her more calm weeks, even if he DID get her under control..  
  
"The first thing you do is run," his brows lowered while he shifted his hold on her enough to rake his claws down her chest and press his palm flat to the tattoo. "If I'm fighting, you fight because you know I'm too busy to stop you. Anything else and you either sneak off when my back is turned, or you hit me and run as fast as you can. It's just as bad as before when I couldn't subdue you and you'd go running off through the goddamn well!"  
  
A blush spread across Kagome's cheeks and she averted her face. She had tried listening, but this just demanded that she answer and she snapped out defensively, "What about when you run off to be alone, hn?! I'm not doing anything that you haven't done before!"  
  
"Have I done it recently?" he challenged, his voice taking on a hard edge from his own frustration. "Hell, Kagome, what kind of an idiot do you take me for? As soon as you told me the voices warned you to stay in my spirit range I haven't ONCE been the one that moved you out of it. You're the one who goes too far and then ends up losing your head and getting your fucking ass attacked!  
  
"You attract more life-threatening situations than any other creature I have EVER known," he continued, gesturing expansively. "Even Shippou stays out of trouble better than you do and he's a kitsune! You were like that even before the spell and now it's only gotten worse! Now it's like you go looking for it instead of it just falling into your lap. Why the hell do you think I've been trying so hard to keep you close to me?!"  
  
She opened her mouth, taking in a breath to yell, but abruptly stopped. Kagome pulled back, blinking in confusion as the scarlet in her eyes faded away completely. Her eyes widened as she tried to come up with even one time he'd run off alone since the time she'd been attacked at the well, 'He.. he's right.. Every time I went out of range.. it was my fault. And I've ended up fighting someone until Inuyasha came for me.'  
  
"You've almost been killed by Kikyou; kidnapped and enchanted by Naraku; and now you're taking challenges from Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha's accusation grew in volume with each word that he growled in her face, his fingers tensing and claws pricking into her side. "What next, Kagome?! How are you going to top that, hn?"  
  
"I.." she started in a weak voice, but it died under the anger in his eyes, and her ears flattened back under a flood of guilt.  
  
"It's been so fucking up and down that if you weren't pulling it off me on purpose, I would have snapped a long time ago," his eyes narrowed sharply and he leaned down low to bring him nose to nose with her. "I refuse to be on my guard every damn second just waiting for the next time you lose control. I'm not going to do it again," he promised in a low voice.  
  
"Then help me!" Kagome yelled back at him in frustration. "I've never been a youkai in my life and these things I feel.. They're so strong that I just.. Before I know what's happening I'm just reacting!"  
  
"That's what I intend to put a stop to," Inuyasha leaned down even more, his mouth hovering just over hers and his voice quieting to a low snarl through gritted teeth. "It's not your choice anymore, Kagome. When the voice comes back, I'm going to do what it asks so we can get this fixed!"  
  
"I don't want the spell gone, Inuyasha!" she fisted her free hand in his haori, setting her jaw in grim determination. "Wait.. What the voice asks?"  
  
"What do you think is fucking telling me to release my hold? Were you listening at all before you punched me and ran off?" he reared up and demanded, muscles twitching uncomfortably from the stress of holding his taut frame still when he youkai side was screaming to let go. "He told me that if I didn't tell you what it said, he would tell you himself. It's not like I have a choice either!"  
  
"And you believe him?" Kagome's back arched as she fought his hold again. "Those 'voices' are what started all this in the first place! That's how Onigumo and Naraku talked to me, and you think this one will help?"  
  
"You think I'm willing to take chances like that with your soul?! This one 'wanted' me to feel him! He wanted me to know he was a full youkai, and he was only too happy to tell me that he would do whatever it took to make you aware of how to set yourself free!" Inuyasha clamped down on her hard, his voice full of enraged disbelief as he moved his hand from the tattoo back to her throat to hold her still.  
  
"Free?" her hands came up to grab the front of his haori and yank hard to drag his face closer to hers again. "Is that how you see this? You want to be 'free?' Goddammit, Inuyasha, I tell you I love you, I mated with you; is that supposed to all just go away because you want it to?!"  
  
"Being my mate isn't something that is going to 'go away,' bitch!" he warned darkly, the unmistakable threat in his voice that she'd even dared to voice the suggestion. "The spell might be breakable, but the mating isn't even up for discussion. You're mine, Kagome," the hand on her throat went from holding, to lightly dragging his claws down her throat. He fought the urge to smirk when he felt her shiver, "What you gave me, you can't take back. Even if the voice said it could."  
  
"I don't want to go back to being a human, Inuyasha. Humans die," her voice lowered as her eyes almost closed involuntarily under that stroking touch.  
  
Inuyasha stared silently, pressing his palm more firmly over the tattoo again to feel his own heart beating through her. It was getting harder and harder to keep arguing with her about this while he was still fighting with his own conscience and desires. He wanted to agree.. All of Kagome's objections were the same ones that he had himself, but didn't that just prove it really wasn't all coming from her? But she seemed so adamant. What if it wasn't all him?  
  
He shook his head, growling in aggravation at his continued attempts to rationalize keeping the connection, "I've been too selfish with you already, Kagome. This time I'm doing what's best for you."  
  
"Then let me be selfish for a change," she pleaded in a low hiss, her eyes going huge and liquid with emotion. "You want to do what's best for me? Don't let go of the spell. Don't fight me like this!"  
  
Inuyasha slowly forced his legs to relax their tight hold on her hips, feeling the muscles in her legs twitch with the return of feeling, but remain lax with inactivity. 'Dammit, it CAN'T be! But she just.. she sounds so sure. What if she wants it for a different reason?' Then couldn't he be certain it was really coming from her? Would he have to feel guilty about wanting to keep the spell? She was calmer now, probably only his change keeping her from fully reverting to her almost human appearance, he could feel it and see it in her eyes. So maybe he could take her answer seriously?  
  
Only one way to find out.  
  
He took great pains to keep a stern glare on his face, focusing completely on the feel of the emotions in the back of his head, "Why?"  
  
Kagome blinked, her thoughts stumbling with the sudden change in the argument from Inuyasha's unbending position to actually questioning her, "What?"  
  
"Why, Kagome? Why don't you want to change?" Inuyasha repeated, fighting the urge to shake her into understanding how important this was.  
  
Kagome jerked back slightly, her eyes filling with irritation, "Why?! Are you insane? Why wouldn't I want to be like this? I'm strong; I'm fast.. I don't feel like I'm a bother or that all I'm going to do is distract you by needing to be protected! I don't feel like an obligation any more."  
  
"Baka," Inuyasha muttered, cutting into her tirade and frowning at her. "Is that what you thought?"  
  
"It's true!" Kagome's cheeks flushed with embarrassed anger. "Damn, Inuyasha, do you want me to count how many times you've almost gotten killed just because you had to save me? I hated that," her voice faded to almost a whisper of self-disgust as she continued to meet his searching gaze. "Every fucking time I knew the only reason you were hurt was because of me. Because I was too slow and too weak for you to focus."  
  
Inuyasha caught his breath, his mind racing furiously in a tangle of excitement of guilt. Kagome had paused, but he could tell there was more she wanted to say, and he wasn't about to stop her when she was finally getting this out of her system. Would it help her calm down and control the youkai blood? Now that he would know what she really thought?  
  
Maybe that way he could keep her connected to him and keep her out of the dangers she was experiencing every time she lost her hold. He'd had to learn as a child, she was right about that, so why couldn't he teach her too?  
  
'But it really is different! Why she wants it.. Sure, some of it may be a little like why I want her to stay like this, but her reasons are..' His thoughts trailed off as he let the barest of sighs escaped him and he prodded to end her continuing silence, "Why didn't you tell me you felt like this?"  
  
Kagome just shook her head, "It wouldn't have been fair. You've always done ALL the work, you, Miroku, Sango, and even Shippou sometimes! All I can do is see those goddamn shards.."  
  
"Kagome.." Inuyasha growled warningly, angry that she was so fast to downplay her own skills.  
  
"And before you never looked at me," she ignored him, her ears drooping as her gaze again shifted uncomfortably to the side.  
  
"What the fuck are you talking about? I looked at you all the time! That didn't change at all," he cupped her chin and squeezed gently.  
  
Kagome leaned up, ignoring the faint rumble in his throat as she lifted her clawed hand and lightly slid them down his cheek. Her eyes softened and a sad smile teased the corner of her lips, "Not the way you do now.. And I wanted.. for so long, Inuyasha."  
  
Inuyasha couldn't prevent the way the heat in his eyes changed from anger to smoldering passion, releasing her face to glide his claws up her arm and take her hand as he repeated in an almost wondering voice, "For so long?"  
  
Her blush darkened, but for a completely different reason this time while she admitted, "Almost from the start, but I never wanted to hurt you. Before you.. were sealed, you seemed to think you had to change, and I don't want you to be anything else. But if you stay hanyou and I go back to being human, I'd age and you.."  
  
Inuyasha stayed silent when her voice trailed off again, just staring at her for a long moment before he let out a low sigh and murmured, "You want to stay connected to me.."  
  
"Baka!! What do you think I've been screaming at you about?!" she started squirming again, helpless to the tears that tracked down her cheeks unnoticed to herself, but not the hanyou above her. "Why do you think I ran away? YOU were trying to change me!"  
  
"And YOU don't want it," he clarified one more time, holding her down when she almost succeeded in pulling herself free.  
  
"NO!" Kagome barked sharply. "Have you listened at all?!"  
  
Inuyasha leaned down and caught her mouth for a long, searching kiss, focusing on his emotions in an effort to let her feel them. She went taut; startled at the contact after she'd been so absolutely certain she knew exactly what was going on. But she'd been sure that Inuyasha wanted the connection broken.. why could she feel his relief at her denial if that was true?  
  
'Maybe he doesn't want it broken either?' she thought distantly as her eyelids slipped completely closed, her attention much more focused on the warm feel of his mouth moving over her own.  
  
He answered her a second later when he pulled away just enough to speak, smirking when she frowned and tried to kiss him again. He made a slight rumble of momentary denial and murmured, "Then that fucking bastard can kiss my ass. We'll just have to take other precautions."  
  
Kagome blinked owlishly when he looped his arm around her back and sat up, pulling her into a seated position. Her heart lurched and then began to pound hopefully, "Other.. precautions? What are you talking about? You.. you don't want..?"  
  
"Hell, Kagome, I don't want it gone either!" Inuyasha gave her a glare for even hinting that he would have. "You think I want to go back to that one- sided subduing? Especially after I've had mine? You'd break my back without a second thought."  
  
"I would not!" she denied, blushing and looking away to settle her gaze on the relieved expressions on Sango and Miroku's faces.  
  
Convinced the worst of the danger had passed, they had come closer, looking down at the pair expectantly. Sango was the one who reached out and lightly touched Inuyasha's shoulder as she inquired, "What do you intend to do, Inuyasha?"  
  
Inuyasha tightened his hold on Kagome, turning the ofuda in his hand so that he held the bloodstained ends, "Making sure this doesn't happen again." 


	55. Far Enough to Scream

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi..  
  
A/N: *winces with embarrassment* Ouch. I had NO idea how long it had been since I updated until I looked at my page. I am so unbelievably sorry about that! So, even though Himiko is sick, I'll post. Wow.. It's really amazing what starting school and having a gross anatomy course will do to your amount of free time! LOL! ^__^V I think I'm finally back on a steady schedule, so as soon as my most kawaii imouto posts, I'll post here too.  
  
This time I have to give a special note to Artemis Moon who apparently sat down, read and reviewed almost every single chapter, all in a very short period of time. I always get a real kick out of hearing what people think, especially considering you're under no obligation to do so. Yet again, I must take a moment to prostrate myself at the feet of my incredibly amazing reviewers and tell you all how very much I love and adore you. Without all of you, I doubt I would have taken the time to develop the story to the extent it has. Don't worry, minna, I promise you that all your questions will be answered soon enough.  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Far Enough to Scream..  
  
  
  
Kagome arched away from him in reflex when she felt the odd vibration of power in the ofuda, its aura clashing with hers when they came close, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"  
  
Inuyasha tightened his arm around her waist and held her still, frowning down at her when she bowed her body as far away from the charms as she could, "You're a miko, Kagome, you don't have anything to be afraid of."  
  
"But I'm a youkai too," she shot back with a snort, her voice challenging. "And right now, THAT part is telling me I don't want to touch those," her ears twitched with agitation. "Why did you put them in your blood?" she scowled suspiciously, eyes searching his for the answers she wanted.  
  
"You're going to soak yours into this end," he instructed in a deceptively flat voice, tapping the end once against her chest and drawing a startled yelp out of her at the odd jolt of heat. "And you're going to do it willingly," he added with a sharp glare.  
  
"You're out of your mind," Kagome pressed a hand hard to her heart and scowled up at him despite her curiosity. The only times she'd been exposed to ofuda, REAL ofuda, all her blood had been human. It wasn't exactly that the touch was painful to her in this form, it was just. bizarre, "Those feel. really weird, Inuyasha. I don't like it."  
  
"That's too damn bad," Inuyasha bared his teeth, tightening his hold again when she renewed her attempt to twist away. "Do you want to keep the spell, Kagome?" his voice held a slightly taunting edge, eyes narrowed as he caught the startled gaze that snapped up to focus on him.  
  
Kagome stopped leaned away to gape up at him in disbelief, "You're fucking threatening me with that?!"  
  
"I'll 'fucking threaten you' with anything that gets you to agree to do this without fighting me," he agreed without even a hint of remorse. "Behave and do as I say, or I'll have to let that damn voice disconnect us to protect you."  
  
She set her jaw, brows lowered as she straightened her spine and growled out, "You sonofabitch."  
  
Inuyasha smirked as he brought the ofuda down against the blood at her throat, "No more than your sons will be, Kagome."  
  
The remark had the desired reaction, Kagome's growl dying while her cheeks flamed and her hand dropped to instinctively press on her stomach, "I'm not-"  
  
"Yet," one brow arched in a taunt that had her averting her face and fidgeting nervously. "Well?"  
  
Her shoulders hunched faintly, self-consciously, "What do I have to do with the ofuda?"  
  
Inuyasha dipped his head and gave her a light kiss, "Good girl. All I need you to do is concentrate your magic into your blood for the ofuda to soak it up," he answered, turning the paper against her neck to make sure she wasn't using the magic as a buffer against the charms.  
  
Kagome looked at him suspiciously, shivering faintly when the mingled aura of the paper slid through her blood. She hadn't consciously tried to "send" her miko powers or her youki for that matter into anything but arrows, and that was only when she was fighting. She was getting extremely good at absorbing, so this shouldn't be too hard, right? But WHY was she infusing her youki and magic into the papers? She could already feel the trace of holy powers from Miroku, the feeling dampened under Inuyasha's considerable youki and.  
  
Kagome's eyes widened in alarmed shock, 'This is. miko energy? From. from Inuyasha?'  
  
"What IS this doing?!" Kagome's aura rippled, and Inuyasha's hand tightened on her to keep her from moving away. "How are you-? When did-?" she stumbled over the questions uncertainly, not wanting to bring it to his attention if he wasn't aware of the change.  
  
"I don't remember when I learned it," he admitted with a shrug that eloquently conveyed that he didn't particularly care either. "But if I'm going to keep you from running off every time you get irritated, I need something that you can't break. If I try holding you with just Miroku's magic, OR mine, you'd walk right through it."  
  
The deep-seated apprehension returned, making her eyes widen with the implication, "Hold me?"  
  
"Keep going, koi," he ordered, tapping a claw against her collarbone when he felt the magic going into the ofuda flutter uncertainly. "I'll tell you when you've infused enough."  
  
Miroku could already feel the pulse of energy in the charms, surprised and even a little alarmed at just how strong the sensation was. Inuyasha had never before seemed to be all that knowledgeable about spells and magic, but he certainly seemed to know exactly what was doing with those ofuda. Not only that, but the spell felt almost disturbingly complex, even multi-layered. But what was he intending to do?  
  
If the hanyou was effortlessly casting a spell like this, he had to be MUCH more familiar with magic than he let on. The monk was frowning in confusion as he wondered just how much of Inuyasha's ignorance was all an act. And if it really was to the extent he now suspected, then why had the hanyou felt the need to lie to them all about his knowledge in the first place?  
  
"Inuyasha.. you can't really be intending to try and seal Kagome into a hut, can you?" he inquired, his voice displaying his own disbelief in that theory even as he prodded for the real answer.  
  
Inuyasha snorted, taking the flame out of Kagome's eyes by denying that idea before she could lose her temper, "What kind of idiot do you think I am? Sealing her into a hut wouldn't fix anything, even if I could get her inside one when she's like this and expecting that. But even if I did, all I'd have would be a pissed off mate about to cycle on top of everything else."  
  
Sango looked at Kagome in alarm when he said that, "Then she really is going to have-?"  
  
Inuyasha huffed to stop the older girl when he saw the confusion in Kagome's eyes, she wouldn't understand yet and he wanted to take care of this spell before he tried to explain what exactly she was about to experience. He looked at the curiosity in Kagome's eyes and fought the urge to growl in irritation, traveling with a youkai exterminator definitely had its drawbacks.  
  
"You really are balanced again," he improvised quickly.  
  
Kagome's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "You're avoiding telling me what the hell you're trying to do with our blood on Miroku's ofuda."  
  
Inuyasha was actually relieved to hear her still focusing her attention on the spell, turning his gaze down to the ofuda when the pulse of energies smooth from three separate feelings into a single, potent mix, "Don't worry, Kagome, this won't hurt a bit."  
  
Her lip curled in dry annoyance at the smug, almost cheerful tone to his voice, "You'll understand if that's not exactly inspiring confidence."  
  
"You really shouldn't doubt your mate," he smirked and lifted the charms, holding the thin line of untouched paper spaced between the bloody ends. "Oi, Miroku, Shippou, this is the part where you help me," he called back over his shoulder, drawing the two closer while Kagome took advantage of his averted face and stuck out her tongue in a show of pique.  
  
Shippou looked absolutely delighted to be helping, rushing forward and jumping to Kagome's shoulder to give her a quick kiss on the cheek before focusing on Inuyasha. He patted her shoulder absently while he fairly bristled with excitement and demanded, "Now? I can help now?"  
  
Inuyasha held the ofuda up to Miroku first, arching one brow when the monk's brow furrowed with concern and he seemed about to protest, "The spell, bouzu. Cast the same one you cast on me that time you stuck me in the hut with Shippou, but I want it stronger. As much magic as you can pump into them, got it?"  
  
Miroku let out a resigned sigh and started to reach for the charms only to have Inuyasha pull them away and shake his head, "I can't risk you smearing them. It'll work the same from right there, so don't try telling me that you can't do it unless you're holding them."  
  
Kagome was too distracted wishing she actually had the heart to throttle Shippou for being so thrilled at the prospect of helping Inuyasha to notice the look the monk shot her before he nodded and lifted his hand, focusing his powers. However, she definitely noticed when the charms began to glow, the tattoo giving a heavy lurch matched by her own heart and disturbingly enough. echoed through the ofuda.  
  
"Oh hell," she mumbled, grinding her teeth when the chill of magic went down her spine. Reassurances or not, something about that mix was agitating her, urging her to get away from it before he could finish the spell. She bit down on her lip, fighting against that feeling to prove to Inuyasha that she could control the youkai emotions.  
  
"Try to relax, koi," Inuyasha taunted gently, the arm around her flexing when he felt her legs twitch and sensed the small battle she was having in her head.  
  
"Let me up and I'll relax," Kagome shot back with a challenging scowl, his obvious enjoyment in the face of her discomfort irritating her to no end.  
  
He shook his head in denial, "If I let you up, you might run away again, and I already told you I've had enough of that. Be patient, Kagome, I'm almost done." His gaze slid away from hers to Shippou's expectant face, "Listen up, runt, I'm giving you the important job."  
  
Shippou puffed up importantly, hopping from her shoulder to her lap and standing as tall as he could, "I won't mess up! What do I do?"  
  
"Keep casting, bouzu," Inuyasha frowned when he felt Miroku start to pull back, holding the ofuda out to Shippou. "Your hands are small enough, hold them right in the middle here where the blood doesn't touch," he instructed easily, watching while the little kitsune reached out to hold them with painstaking care.  
  
"Like this?" Shippou hopped to the ground, holding the paper with both hands and looking up at the transformed hanyou for praise. 'This is the first time Inuyasha has actually asked me to do something this important! I can show him I'll take care of Okaa-san just as much as he will!'  
  
Inuyasha rubbed Shippou's head and smirked, glancing sideways at Kagome's tense expression, "Aa, just like that. Now run straight out away from us and when I tell you to stop, put one down and mark it with your kitsune-bi. You should have enough to make a circle around us from that far away."  
  
His eyes widened and he nodded vigorously, turning to grin up at Kagome reassuringly, "Don't worry, Okaa-san, we'll make sure you're safe!"  
  
Inuyasha waited until the kit had darted off and turned to Sango, "Follow him with Kirara, but let him put down the ofuda himself."  
  
Sango glared at him, folding her arms over her chest even as Kirara transformed, "I'm not helping you seal Kagome anywhere, Inuyasha. You want her trapped you can do it yourself."  
  
Kagome grinned at the defense, mimicking Sango's pose as best she could while Inuyasha growled in annoyance, "Dammit, Sango, I don't have time for this! I'm not sealing Kagome, but if we can't protect her from the voices outside the range of spirit Naraku could get hold of her again. Do you want that?"  
  
The exterminator's determination visibly wavered as she looked between the two of them and then to where Miroku was deep in meditation, focused on the sealing spell in the distant ofuda, "But.. the spell.."  
  
"She isn't going to be trapped like I was," he frowned, tilting his head as he tested the wind for Shippou's distance. "The voices said they opened up the path to her soul, but mine can keep them out of her head inside that range. I'm trying to close that path!"  
  
Sango set her jaw, her hands flexing as she shook her head, "I don't-"  
  
"Please, Sango," Inuyasha scowled in frustration over the uncharacteristic politeness of his request, the scowl darkening at the look of absolute shock on both girls' faces. "It's not THAT rare that I say please!" he protested crossly.  
  
"Yes it is," Kagome muttered, ears flattening back when she saw the same hesitant resignation in Sango's eyes that had been in Miroku's before he started casting the binding spell.  
  
Inuyasha leaned over to absently nip her ear in censure, his eyes on Sango expectantly, "Well?"  
  
She was silent a moment more and then turned, "Kirara."  
  
"Arigatou, Sango," his lips quirked as she climbed astride her youkai. "Just make sure Shippou lays the ofuda in an even circle around this point and marks them," the tension smoothed out of his shoulders when she nodded stiffly and took to the air.  
  
Kagome turned up her nose haughtily when he chuckled and rose to his feet, dragging her up against his chest and holding her still, "If I wasn't so worried about both of us losing our tempers, I'd bite you, you pompous asshole."  
  
He leaned down and caught her lips for a gentle kiss, silencing the growl in her throat while her arms reflexively unfolded to slide around his neck to pull him closer to her. Inuyasha's ear twitched when he broke the kiss, purring as he rubbed his chin on her head soothingly before he turned and let out a sharp sound like a bark. At Kagome's bemused look, he stroked his hand up and down her spine and answered, "Shippou's far enough away."  
  
Her own ears twitched when she heard the distant, high-pitched "kitsune-bi" where the kitsune obediently marked the ofuda, "I can't believe they're helping you."  
  
"Why not?" he shrugged, unconcerned with the disgruntled tone. "We all know you aren't thinking clearly, and you should know by now that we'll do anything to keep you safe. Even if you fight us."  
  
Kagome blushed, averting her face, "When did you get so damn good at being reasonable, hn?"  
  
"You just weren't listening before," he snorted, lifting his hand to stroke her cheek. "I'm impatient, Kagome, not stupid."  
  
Kirara and Sango returned before Kagome could respond, the exterminator looking mildly surprised as she remarked, "Shippou-chan is.. quite fast when he wants to be."  
  
Inuyasha rolled his eyes, "He's had plenty of practice with all the running away he's done. He's almost as bad as Myouga-jiji."  
  
"Inuyasha!" Shippou called out, his voice slightly worried as he scampered back into the campsite, gingerly holding out a single ofuda. "There was one left, but I made them a circle like you asked!" he jumped to the hanyou's shoulder.  
  
"There was supposed to be," Inuyasha plucked it from his hands and wuffed at the kit approvingly. He lifted the forgotten scrap of fire-rat fur and laid the last charm across it, youki and magic crackling between the two while he held it to Shippou expectantly.  
  
"Kitsune-bi!" he slapped a hand down on the torn fabric, obviously relieved and delighted that he'd done it right.  
  
The moment the foxfire touched the bloody charm, there was a blinding flash followed immediately by a staggering wave of energy snapping through the campsite and knocking all but Inuyasha and Kagome off their feet. Kagome let out a scream of outrage that was nearly lost amongst the other cries of surprise when Inuyasha's free hand yanked her forward, wrapping half the strip around her throat. Before she could pull away, he twisted his hand, wrapping the loose ends of fabric around his wrist twice and holding them both still.  
  
Kagome hissed, her eyes momentarily copying his as she tried to pull out of the energy funneling inward from the radius of Shippou's circle. Inuyasha tightened his hand and yanked her forward, his other hand dropping to the small of her back while he again caught her mouth with his to take advantage of just how close she was to her cycle to keep her from fighting against the spell until it was complete.  
  
Miroku shielded his eyes against the light, gaping in tense surprise at the visible streams of almost blinding fire. The violent mix of colors was curling around and around the pair before soaking into the wrapped fabric around Kagome's neck and Inuyasha's wrist. "What the hell?!" his brows snapped together.  
  
The last of the flames wrapped around them, pulling them closer together before it completely soaked into the fabric, pulsing once and then dissolving the fur and ofuda into a thin line of scarlet tint where it had rested against skin.  
  
"What WAS that?" Sango pushed herself to her feet, eyes wide as she rubbed at her arms, trying to smooth the tingling down her skin and making her hair stand on end.  
  
Kagome shoved Inuyasha away from her, her hands coming up to grasp at her neck, searching for the strip of fur, "What did you do? Inuyasha!"  
  
Inuyasha was looking at the two lines of red around his wrist, his brows lifting and lips quirking in a smug smile, "Sonofabitch, it does work!"  
  
She bared her fangs, snarling as she slid farther away from him, "What WORKED?!"  
  
To their complete and utter shock, Inuyasha didn't answer and instead just casually strolled back to the campfire, dropping down into his usual cross- legged position. He folded his arms over his chest, sliding his hands into his sleeves as the tension visibly released across his shoulders.  
  
"It's late," he called back at his stunned companions calmly, looking for all the world as though nothing out of the ordinary had taken place. "We should get some sleep before we head back to Kaede-baba's in the morning."  
  
Kagome's lip curled angrily, eyes darkening as she turned, all thoughts of proving she wouldn't run away gone in a heartbeat as she shot off into the woods. Shippou let out a shriek of alarm, torn for a moment between trying to catch Kagome and yelling at Inuyasha to demand what he was thinking. Finally he opted for the stationary target, leaping across the clearing to yank hard on the hanyou/youkai's ears, "What the hell are you doing?! Go after Kagome-Okaa-san before she gets out of range and gets into more trouble!"  
  
"Don't have to," Inuyasha rolled his shoulders easily, taking his right hand out of his sleeves to stare at the double lines on his wrist.  
  
"But, Inuyasha-!" Miroku leaned heavily on his staff, drained after using that much energy and determined not to show it until they had dealt with what was going on now.  
  
He was cut off abruptly when they heard what was obviously Kagome's voice giving first a startled yelp and then raised in a string of curses that even had Inuyasha's eyes widening in appreciation. Inuyasha smirked at looked at the way the lines had started to glow faintly, sparking in an erratic rhythm, 'It really worked.'  
  
Kagome was back as quickly as she had run off, her eyes blazing and perceptibly trembling with suppressed anger, all of it aimed at Inuyasha's back as she enunciated each word in a slow, deadly hiss, "What.the.FUCK?!"  
  
Sango lifted her hand to her mouth, her eyes going from Kagome's neck to Inuyasha's wrist, "Inuyasha. did you-?"  
  
Inuyasha turned an almost nauseatingly smug grin over his shoulder and drawled out, "What's wrong, koi?"  
  
She stalked across the space separating them, bending down to grab the closest ear and yank him to his feet with a yelp of pain, "It was like running into a goddamn brick wall, Inuyasha! I felt myself getting close to the edge of your aura and all of a sudden my neck got hot, I slammed into nothing, and knocked myself flat on my ass!!"  
  
"You said she wasn't going to be trapped!" Sango yelled at him, her eyes flaming as she habitually reached for her Hiraikotsu.  
  
"She's not," Inuyasha reached up and took Kagome's hand away from his ear, rubbing it with a frown as he ignored the deep-throated growl coming from her. "Not that way, at least."  
  
"Then what did your spell do?" Miroku reached out, putting a restraining hand on Sango's shoulder when the girl looked about ready to commit serious mayhem against Inuyasha. "What did Kagome-sama run into?"  
  
Inuyasha bent down and kissed her on the tip of the nose while she took several deep breaths, restraining herself with great effort while she waited for his explanation. He reached up and gently rubbed her ear to change the growl into a purr as he answered matter-of-factly, "I collared my bitch." 


	56. All In How You Say It

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi...  
  
A/N: Since it's been so long and imouto updated both of these today, I'll put this one up too. ^__~ On an extra note, the next chapter is also complete, however, as it is the final lemon of Turnabout, it will not be posted to FF.N per their rating policy. My website has the full version to date posted, lemons and all. So if you're "of age" and not offended by adult content, you're more than welcome to check it out.  
  
Again to my reviewers, I adore each one of you, and I hope the rest of the story will live up to your expectations. I promise it will all come together before too much longer. ^__^  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: All in how you say it..  
  
  
  
For a very long moment there was only the thick sound of disbelieving silence. Four sets of eyes looking at Inuyasha as though at some point in time between fighting Sesshoumaru and the present moment, he'd completely lost his mind.  
  
Sango slowly set down the Hiraikotsu, shaking her head and folding her arms across her chest. 'For every time I think Inuyasha is more intelligent than any of us ever suspected, he opens his mouth and says something like that,' she rolled her eyes and just stood quietly, waiting for the imminent explosion from Kagome over that little gem of wisdom from the hanyou. There was absolutely nothing she could do that would be worse -or more entertaining, she admitted to herself with a hidden smile, than watching what Inuyasha was about to bring down on his head.  
  
Miroku coughed into his hand to hide a misplaced laugh while Shippou slowly inched away from the pair, his eyes riveted to the subtle changes in the look on Kagome's face. She'd been beyond pissed already and he could see the exact moment Inuyasha's words really clicked in her mind. Her pupils contracted and faded completely, the pale lines of her scars darkening to scarlet and that weird gray tint smudging her skin around her eyes. Whatever she was about to do to the hanyou, it was going to be big.  
  
Kagome slowly straightened her posture, sucking in long, deep breath as she obdurately schooled her expression into what she hoped was a bland enough look. Her hand came out, tangling in the front of his haori as she dragged more of his physical strength into herself and lifted him up as high as she could manage before demanding in a flat whisper, "You what?"  
  
Inuyasha did his best to look unconcerned from the rather undignified position, and in the face of what he could sense humming off her aura. Grabbing hold of her wrist to steady himself, he shifted his weight back to bring his feet back to the ground. He still had the advantage of strength and weight despite her ability to draw off him, and he used both to his benefit, "Until you prove to me that you've got ALL your youkai emotions under control, my way is safer. This way I don't have to keep my eye on you constantly and worry about you fucking running off at every little thing."  
  
"I'm going to ask you once, Inuyasha," Kagome shook off his hand, slapping her palm against his sternum and getting a grunt of surprise from him as he took a step back. "What EXACTLY did you just do?" she couldn't completely keep the growl from her voice as her hand lifted self- consciously to the line of red around her neck.  
  
Inuyasha smiled slightly, impressed by the change in her controlled reaction from only having the spell for a short time. Before she would have been off and running by now, making him chase after her to calm her down, but now she was standing in front of him and asking questions. Granted she HAD taken off, and had only come running back for an answer, but it was still better than what she'd done before, "The only times we had serious problems were when you went out of range. It's an old spell. a youkai spell. I don't even remember where I learned it, but it's designed to keep unwilling or disobedient females close beside the male who claims them."  
  
"How close?" she gritted out, clenching and unclenching her hands spasmodically.  
  
"I had Shippou make the circle just inside the edge of my spirit range," Inuyasha rubbed his chest, his lips twitching in a smirk at the way her brows had steadily lowered. Kagome bristled badly enough under the constraint of the subduing spell, and now her youkai instincts were going into overdrive at hearing he'd tightened that restriction into this "leash." He had to fight against the urge to chuckle, his amusement at her resentment directly linked to his own need to prove his dominance to his half-wild mate.  
  
Kagome's eyes had nearly gone black, "And when I get close to that 'edge?'"  
  
He held out his wrist, drawing her gaze the dark lines around his wrist, "I feel it twinge, you feel it heat, and you hit the barrier. You can't go farther than that, koi, no matter how hard you push. And if you push too much, the circle gets smaller."  
  
"WHAT?!" she grabbed him again, yanking him forward in a physical display of just how deep her emotions were running beneath the hard won calm. "What the hell do you mean it gets smaller?" she demanded, almost nose to nose him.  
  
Inuyasha's shoulders shook slightly as his delight grew, "If you fight it, you'll trigger part of the magic into thinking you're being taken away from me. When that happens it drags you closer to make it easier for me to protect you from that threat."  
  
"Even if it's just me trying to get away from you and not a 'threat?'" Kagome bit down on her lip to keep from screaming at him the way she was dying to.  
  
"Even then, Kagome," he nodded. "Your miko power and youki; my youki; Miroku's magic; and even Shippou's kitsune-bi. You put yourself into that willingly and that made the barrier too strong for anyone to break, even you," his voice lowered, one brow arched in almost playful teasing.  
  
"You tricked me," she bared her fangs, backing up when he reached for her. "This didn't have anything to do with being disconnected, you just wanted to make sure I couldn't go anywhere."  
  
"I did what I had to do to shut out those goddamn voices making you lose control," his eyes narrowed fractionally at the wordless defiance. "What any mate would have done in my place if their bitch was behaving like you've been," Inuyasha bared his fangs right back at her.  
  
"Behaving like what?" Kagome's hair fluffed out like an angry cat, increasing the feral look in her appearance.  
  
"Behaving like a pup run wild," he folded his arms over his chest and gave her an arrogant glare that only served to increase the family resemblance with Sesshoumaru. "You want to learn control, little girl, I'm going to teach it to you whether you like it or not. But you're going to learn how I want you to."  
  
Kagome just barely resisted the urge to snarl, instead letting out a disgusted snort, "Why bother pretending the magic is there to protect me then, hn? Why not just say you fenced me in because you think I'm disobedient? You're trying to punish me."  
  
"You are disobedient," Inuyasha nodded in agreement, giving her a pointed glare when she hissed at him. "And it's my responsibility to discipline you for that."  
  
"Is he trying to get Kagome to rip his ears off?" Shippou scaled Miroku's robes to perch on the monk's shoulder and whisper in disbelief. He watched tensely as Kagome's growl deepened and she dipped her head just enough to change her look from defensive to openly aggressive, "Casting that kind of spell? And being proud of it so openly?"  
  
Miroku shook his head, gripping his staff tightly as he tried to move unobtrusively out of what he was certain was about to be a nasty fight. Sango came to his side, muttering darkly under her breath as she slung his arm over her shoulders and dragged him to the tree line, "If Kagome-chan doesn't kill him, I'll do it for her the moment I know she's safe. He tricked us, houshi-sama!"  
  
He slumped back against the tree she dropped him against, pressing his hand to the trunk to steady himself as he looked back at the two growling at each other across the clearing, "Inuyasha is trying to protect her. His methods may be extreme. but I. think he's right."  
  
"Kagome-chan is human! He's imposing a youkai punishment on her!" Sango protested, glaring at the monk and trying not to show her concern at how pale his face had become.  
  
Shippou blinked at the exterminator and nervously reminded her, "Um, Sango? She IS a youkai now, and Miroku's right. I just think he should have been. less excited about explaining it."  
  
Sango looked at them in alarm, "Are you both insane? This is Kagome-chan we're talking about!"  
  
Miroku turned to put his back to the tree, motioning to the pair, "You're correct, Sango. This is Kagome-sama."  
  
Shippou fisted his hands in Miroku's robe, restraining his own urge to run to Kagome's defense, "He's her mate and she's been wild. If Kagome doesn't learn to stop running off she really could get hurt. And she already HAS been hurt really badly when she ran before, but Inuyasha didn't punish her those times."  
  
"Shippou is quite right," a new, almost forgotten voice added matter-of- factly. "Inuyasha-sama's behavior is perfectly acceptable as Kagome-sama's mate."  
  
Three sets of eyes turned down to the tiny youkai in amazement while Miroku dryly inquired, "Myouga-jiji. just where have you been through all of this?"  
  
Myouga bounced up and down in agitation, his face red with defensive embarrassment, "Why do you all have so little faith in me? There have been many rumors I felt obligated to research for Inuyasha-sama that kept me occupied elsewhere!"  
  
Momentarily forgetting the tense scene unfolding in front of them, Shippou muttered over his shoulder to the monk, "He was probably scared of everything happening and ran away."  
  
Miroku nodded while the flea looked decidedly ill at ease, "Indeed. No doubt he sensed what occurred with Kagome-sama's transformation. It has been dangerous, more dangerous than normal since she fell under this spell."  
  
"But Myouga-jiji is here now! Does that mean it's safe again?" Sango frowned suddenly in surprise, her gaze darting to the nearly silent stalemate between Inuyasha and Kagome.  
  
Myouga folded his arms across his torso, tilting his head down to convey an image of deep thought, "It's true that Kagome-sama's aura has been remarkably unstable lately, but Inuyasha-sama has. taken control of her. The worst of the fluctuations has been closed off, tamed in a sense. The aura around her is settling."  
  
Miroku frowned down at the youkai, "Is this because of the spell he just cast on her? This binding spell?"  
  
Myouga nodded, "Kagome-sama's youki became much more volatile whenever she went beyond a certain distance and now that she is no longer capable of doing so, there is not such a feeling of being drained when one is close to her. A small youkai such as myself would have been destroyed venturing too near were Inuyasha-sama not controlling her emotions."  
  
Shippou frowned thoughtfully, "So that's why you stayed away. Okaa-san would have killed you when she was absorbing- wait. If it's dangerous for small youkai, why didn't I ever get hurt? She's been holding me when she was at her worst!"  
  
"Youkai females are very protective of their young, Shippou," the flea scolded lightly, cracking one eye open to peer at the fox. "Kagome-sama obviously feels your aura as she would one of her own offspring and that protects you from her even at her most wild. Not all of us have such a luxury."  
  
Shippou puffed up proudly at that, turning adoring eyes to Kagome while his tail twitched back and forth with the speed of his silent musing, 'Her own offspring... She thinks of me as her own pup? Kagome really DOES love me!'  
  
"Myouga-jiji," Sango knelt down to frown at the youkai. "How exactly do you know all this if you have been hiding?"  
  
"I haven't been hiding!" Myouga flushed and began hopping up and down in agitation again. "I was merely observing from a safe distance and trying to discover what had happened to Kagome-sama! It is a very complex transformation for a human girl to make in becoming a youkai, especially one so young, and I thought Inuyasha-sama could use more information!"  
  
"Then what did you learn?" Miroku inquired, honestly curious about what the flea demon could have to offer.  
  
Myouga wasn't given a chance to answer, jumping up to hide on Shippou's shoulder when Kagome broke the silent clash of wills. She let out a shriek of fury as the tenuous hold she had on her temper snapped, leaping across the clearing to slam her shoulder into Inuyasha's chest and send them crashing backwards, "You sonofabitch!"  
  
Shippou winced when they hit the ground, a rolling tangle of limbs as they wrestled and snarled at each other, both fighting for the dominant position. The kitsune let out a regretful sigh that was echoed almost simultaneously by the flea demon, "She really shouldn't have done that."  
  
Inuyasha twisted, bringing his feet up and flipping her up over his head as he rolled to a crouch, eyes narrowing on her in sharp disapproval, "Kagome, behave..."  
  
Kagome hopped to her feet, shaking her head to clear it as she turned to face Inuyasha again, "Behave, my ass. I'm on a leash, Inuyasha! You put me on a fucking leash like a pet! Like a DOG!"  
  
"Bitch, you ARE a dog!" he snapped back at her, eyes carefully trained to watch the telltale twitching of muscles in her legs and shoulders. She would spring at him again soon. His ears swiveled forward and back, mind racing to plot out just how he wanted to handle her as he spoke, "Calm down, Kagome. If you really want so badly to fight, I'll fight, but you know just as well as I do that you're worn out. Do you want to knock yourself unconscious like you have before when you finally admit I'm right?"  
  
She huffed defensively, trying to deny that bit of truth even as a blush tinted her cheeks. She was just as aware of what would happen when she stopped pulling his energy as he was, after all, she'd been purposefully ignoring the pulse of her own exhaustion underneath the borrowed youki since her fight with Sesshoumaru.  
  
She bared her fangs, pushing that thought to the back of her mind and reaching up to press her fingertips to the warm line around her neck, "How do I get this thing off?"  
  
"You don't," he growled at her again. "I'm keeping you close, koi, so you don't get your goddamn impulsive ass killed!"  
  
Kagome's eyes narrowed and she flexed her claws, "I'll show you impulsive."  
  
Inuyasha was ready when she raced at him again, ducking to catch his arm around her waist and use her momentum to spin her around away from him. Kagome blinked in surprise, trying to maintain her balance when his arm came around her again, dragging her back hard against his chest. She'd opened her mouth to snarl at him when she felt his teeth sink into the back of her neck. Her eyes went wide when he removed his arm and gave her a firm shake with just that hold at her nape before dropping her to the ground.  
  
Kagome blinked wide eyes, trying to process what had occurred as she sat dazed where he'd unceremoniously dumped her. She managed to get her vision back into focus and look up as he leaned over her, pressing a clawed hand to her forehead, "You act like a pup and I'll treat you like a pup, Kagome. You wasted all of your own strength on Sesshoumaru, and if you just relax, you'll see how tired you really are."  
  
"I'm not too tired to fight with you, Inuyasha," she twisted, bringing her heel against his ankle and sweeping his feet out from under him. The moment he was down, she pounced on him, grabbing his wrists and holding him, "Tell me how to break it! Now!"  
  
Inuyasha rolled, bringing one leg up to wrap around her torso and slam her to the ground underneath him, "You won't like how this ends if you don't calm down."  
  
She managed to throw him off again, coming to her knees as she studied the set expression on his face, "It'll end when I smash your head into the ground and you tell me how to take this off, you baka."  
  
Myouga grunted when they clashed again, nodding in approval when Inuyasha again managed to twist Kagome around and throw her with just a bite at her nape again, "Inuyasha-sama will see to it that she recognizes her boundaries before he is finished. It will not be so dangerous to be near her after she knows what is appropriate."  
  
Shippou's brows drew together while he winced sympathetically, "He really is fighting her like she's just a pup; he's hardly using his hands at all."  
  
Sango watched tensely, but her gaze still held a glint of curiosity as she watched Inuyasha repeatedly knock Kagome to the ground like Shippou had observed, like a dog batting at its pup. As much as she struggled to watch as a friend, a lifetime of taijiya training couldn't be suppressed, and she studied the "fight" with a critical eye, "I've never seen inu youkai behavior like this so close before."  
  
Miroku folded his hand into his sleeves and sighed tiredly, shaking his head at the whiplash of youki filling the air every time they wrestled together, "This would be much easier if Kagome-sama would calm down and let her youkai blood settle."  
  
Myouga hopped back down to Shippou's shoulder, satisfied the fight was going to stay well away from his perch, "Kagome-sama does not have the advantage of growing up as a youkai, having her pack to teach her what is acceptable and what isn't. And Inuyasha-sama is not always the most calm example."  
  
Shippou snorted in disgust, "What a nice way of saying he's usually just as wild as she is."  
  
Kagome came crashing to the ground a short distance in front of them, interrupting their observations and growling as she righted herself to a kneel with more effort than she had had to use previously, 'Damn. he's blocking it from me this time, keeping me from absorbing. but I need more! I'm not done yet!'  
  
Inuyasha folded his arms over his chest, looking down at her with almost regal arrogance, "You're running yourself into the ground, Kagome. Stop trying to pull off me and calm down."  
  
She pressed her palm hard against her throbbing chest, each heartbeat bringing a dull, intensifying ache from the healing flesh. The wounds she'd received from Sesshoumaru had yet to completely mend, and without pulling in more energy to sustain her rapidly waning strength, she was finally unable to ignore the feel of them.  
  
Her eyes fluttered closed when her vision swam momentarily, her jaw clenching before she blinked and tenaciously focused on Inuyasha's face, "I'm fine."  
  
"You are the most stubborn bitch I have ever known, koi," Inuyasha walked forward and calmly crouched down on his haunches in front of her. She was swaying slightly, bracing herself up and gulping in long, deep breaths to stave off the swimming blackness he could feel dancing just below the surface. "Quit growling, Kagome, it's not going to change anything," he scolded lightly.  
  
"I'm not finished," she insisted, arms shaking as she tried to rise to her feet, but only succeeded in stumbling back to her knees.  
  
"You are," he shook his head, reaching out to lightly rub one of her ears, coaxing it from it's flattened state to a more natural position. "You were exhausted during your fight with my asshole brother, and if Miroku's so tired he can barely hold himself up, then I know the spell wiped out more than enough to wear you out on its own." He gestured around the campsite expansively, "Do you want me to add what we've been doing now and just admit you should already have passed out cold an hour ago?"  
  
"Get out of my head, Inuyasha, I know what I'm feeling," she bristled in agitation, but completely ruined the image by leaning into his touch.  
  
"If you're going to ignore your body until you send yourself into a coma, then it's my responsibility to sta- to BE in your head and make sure you don't hurt yourself," Inuyasha corrected himself when she tensed at his near slip with her subduing spell, sliding his hand down from her ear to her cheek. He frowned when he felt how hot her skin was against his palm, "You could burn out what's left of your human blood if you aren't careful, Kagome."  
  
"It's my body," Kagome reached up and wrapped her hand around his wrist, not nearly as concerned as she thought she would have been at the thought of her human blood disappearing. "I can take care of myself," she pouted, glaring at him.  
  
Inuyasha looked down at her hand, his brows drawing together when he felt how weak her grip had become. He rocked forward on the balls of his feet, sliding one arm around her back and the other beneath her knees to pull her up into his lap. He ignored the token squirming, nipping her ear and settling her down as he sat back, tucking her protectively to his chest, "You need rest. I told you before, it's no fun fighting when you can't fight back."  
  
She grumbled under her breath, supremely irritated with herself at the way the tension was steadily melting away with every soothing stroke or wordless rumble vibrating through her wherever Inuyasha was touching her, "You're a real jerk sometimes, Inuyasha."  
  
"And you're a brat," he returned easily. "This is the way it has to be, Kagome. This is the only way to keep you from running away and putting yourself in danger. Or would you rather have Naraku getting into your head because you get too far away from me?"  
  
Kagome ducked her head, not meeting his gaze as she actually took a moment to process that. Inuyasha, whether or not she wanted to admit it, was right about that. If she couldn't go out of Inuyasha's range of spirit in the first place, according to the voices and even her own experience, she wouldn't be vulnerable to outside influences.  
  
"Well?" his hand came to her chin, tilting her face up to catch her eyes.  
  
Her ears flattened back and she focused stubbornly on a point behind his head, "Why do I have to be tied to you like this?"  
  
Inuyasha rolled his eyes, reaching up again to rub her ears and smirking in satisfaction when her own eyes fluttered and drifted closed, "Because this is the only way I can make sure you stay in range." Her body was slowly slumping against his, urging him to tuck her even closer, "That's it. Just relax and calm down so you can rest."  
  
"No," she mumbled into his chest, hands already lifting to tangle in his haori as she rubbed her cheek against the comforting beat of his heart. She was just so tired, and Inuyasha was so warm.  
  
Of course it didn't help her any when he leaned forward and rested his chin on the top of her head, surrounding her even more with his soothing presence, "Aa. I can feel it, koishii, your body wants to sleep. Don't you trust me to take care of you?"  
  
"Cheater," Kagome managed to tilt her face up, barely lifting one eyelid to look up at him, her gaze glassy from pain, exhaustion, and even a hint of fever. "You can't say things like that," she yawned hugely, closing her eye again and pressing against him, trying to curl up in his lap as small as she could.  
  
"Why not?" Inuyasha's lips twitched at the way she still tried to act angry even as she burrowed down in his arms, her hands absently flexing against his chest.  
  
Kagome could feel his ribs expand and contract in time with the warm breath fanning over her cheek, joined by the gentle, steady thump of his heart. No matter how hard she tried to push away her exhaustion and the void of unconsciousness pressing in on her, Inuyasha had managed to block off her attempts to pull in more energy either by accident, or else he was just getting more proficient at manipulating their connection than she was. and he was right.  
  
She really had used all her energy, actually more than her own, when she'd been fighting with Sesshoumaru, but she hadn't noticed with the massive amounts she had been absorbing from them both. Then helping Inuyasha cast his spell had eradicated the last of her borrowed strength from the youkai lord and even what she had pulled from Inuyasha after his brother's departure, but she had ignored that fact to try and fight for removal of the restricting spell.  
  
Saying her body wanted to sleep was an understatement, and being tucked up in his lap, surrounded so possessively by his arms and his familiar scent was sapping away at the last of her resistance. Unfortunately for her, losing that was sinking her deeper into groggy blackness that had been waiting to overtake her even as she tried to mumble her response before she completely lost consciousness, "It's not fair when you already know how I feel about you. You're. being sneaky. baka."  
  
Inuyasha did chuckle then, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead just as he felt her completely relax in his arms. He sighed in relief himself when her ears twitched, her back arching slightly as they slid to the sides of her head and shrunk back down into her slightly pointed human ears, "Fuck, it's about time she stopped fighting it."  
  
Shippou perched on top of Inuyasha's head, rolling his weight forward to get a better look at Kagome's sleeping face, "She's okay? She's back to normal again?"  
  
Inuyasha tilted his head, half-heartedly trying to shake the kitsune at least down to his shoulder as he felt his own transformation start to fade, "Better than she's been the other times she pushed herself this far. Naraku was trying to kill her human side by tricking the youkai blood into pushing it out. She has more youkai than human now and it. it's healing her," his ears drooped slightly and he sighed with a touch of regretful guilt. Kagome might be insisting she wanted everything to stay the same just as much as he did, but he still wished he could have saved her all the pain she'd experienced since the voices had cast their spell.  
  
Sango frowned when he rose to his feet, still holding Kagome protectively to his chest, "What were you thinking, Inuyasha? You used all of us to trap Kagome-chan."  
  
"She's not trapped, Sango," Inuyasha shook off his brooding thoughts and frowned, turning to face the troubled exterminator, the stripes fading from his face even as the scarlet and blue reverted to his natural white and amber. "The barrier spell is mobile, and I'm her central point. So if I move, it moves. She isn't trapped in any one place."  
  
"Still-!" Sango started, shaking her head in protest.  
  
"Inuyasha-sama has not done anything cruel or improper, Sango. You need to remember that youkai behavior is decidedly different from humans," Myouga made his way to hop on Kirara's head, urging the feline youkai up to Sango's shoulder. "Given the nature of Kagome-sama's enchantment, I am surprised he did not secure her to his aura after they first mated."  
  
"I'll deal with you later for making yourself scarce when I could have fucking used your advice for once," Inuyasha glared pointedly at the flea, barely resisting the urge to flatten his so-called retainer, but it would have meant letting go of Kagome. He settled for huffing in agitation, "You could have saved me a helluva headache, Myouga-jiji."  
  
Miroku was the only one who picked up the undertone in the hanyou's voice, frowning as he leaned more of his weight on his staff and inquired, "Where are you going? Kagome-sama quite obviously needs to recover from her injuries, Inuyasha."  
  
Shippou dug his claws into Inuyasha's shoulder, his eyes widening in panic as he squeaked out his disjointed thoughts as rapidly as they came to him, "Go?! You can't go! I'm coming with you!"  
  
For once, rather than looking irritated with the kitsune, Inuyasha looked highly amused at his insistence, "You can't come with us, runt."  
  
Sango opened her mouth to speak, but stopped and frowned as a thought occurred to her of just what he could be insinuating, "Inuyasha. are you-?"  
  
"Kagome and I should be back in a week," one corner of his mouth kicked up in smug smirk. He lifted Kagome higher in his arms, rubbing his cheek against her own once before he almost casually licked at the abrasions on her face, "Head back to Kaede-baba's and we'll catch up with you."  
  
"But-!" Shippou protested sharply, squealing in startled fright when Inuyasha shook his head hard to knock the little kit loose. "Jerk!" he rubbed his sore head, scampering up onto Miroku's shoulder to glare up at Inuyasha accusingly.  
  
"Will Kagome-sama be all right?" Miroku asked softly, his expression filled with weary concern as he looked at the unnatural paleness of her face, and the shallow rise and fall of her bloody chest.  
  
"She'll be just fine," Inuyasha nodded easily, turning and testing the wind for direction. "She was already close, and all that fighting pushed her into her heat cycle. so it's actually a good thing she's so worn out. It'll make it easier for me to hide her somewhere safe until she's clear of it."  
  
Shippou's eyes had rounded, the little growling dying abruptly as his mouth dropped open with understanding and he let out a startled, "Oh."  
  
"Tell Kaede-baba that we're going to sit down and figure out what the fuck is going on when Kagome and I get back," Inuyasha turned his back, tightening his arms securely around her lax form. "If there's anything else we can do to make sure this is the last time she loses control. anything else to protect her, I want to hear it," he instructed, the hard edge to his voice betraying how seriously he took his responsibility to protect her.  
  
"Inuyasha, wait!" Sango took a step forward, holding out a hand as her face filled with a determined sort of uncertainty.  
  
He glanced back over his shoulder with a frown at the new interruption when he wanted to find a safe place to keep Kagome during her first possibly youkai cycle, "Kagome's my mate, Sango, and taking care of her is more important than arguing with you over whether or not she's 'trapped' now."  
  
A faint blush touched her cheeks and she shook her head, her voice lowering with a hint of self-consciousness, "That actually wasn't what I was going to say."  
  
One brow lifted curiously and he half turned, "Then what 'were' you going to say?"  
  
She looked off to one side, biting her lip and murmuring softly as her blush darkened, "If. what they taught us about youkai females is true. Be careful."  
  
Inuyasha blinked in mild surprise and then grinned, refraining from laughing at the obvious concern she was displaying for their welfare. Nodding to the exterminator even as he made a mental note to question her later on what she taijiya taught about mating youkai, he promised with confident ease, "I'll take good care of her." 


	57. Only Skin Deep

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
A/N: Mou. Been a while hasn't it? *rubs aching head* Sorry about that, minna, but I just had some killer finals and my dad came to town. Don't let anyone tell you that gross anatomy is a class you can skate through, LOL or that showing someone who's not local around a town like Las Vegas is an easy thing! On a brighter note, I DO have winter break coming up in a couple weeks and I have promised my beloved futago that I will make every effort to finish up by the end of the year.  
  
At any rate, I must take my moment to prostrate myself before my much adored and loved readers and reviewers for all their encouragement and threats of sporks. ^__~ You're the most fabulous reviewers in the whole world and I'll do my best to make sure you enjoy the rest of the story as much as you've seemed to enjoy it so far. Again, much love and glowing devotion from the evil puppy! ^__~  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Only Skin Deep..  
  
  
  
"Hiraikotsu!"  
  
Shippou cringed, hiding behind Miroku's shoulder as they watched Sango rip through the nest of giant centipede youkai. He curled his hands in the monk's robes, peeking out every now and then to see the exterminator slice another of the massive creatures in half, "Maybe we should have let Sango hunt by herself this time."  
  
Miroku snorted, safe to drop his usual "holy" attitude with Sango's attention fully focused some distance ahead of their position. His hand nervously fingered the rosary beads, alert to any sneak attacks that might come at the exterminator from other angles, "When she is still so damn concerned about Kagome and Inuyasha's absence? If we weren't with her, I don't doubt that she'd be tracking them already and I don't intend to be the focus of Inuyasha's displeasure with that kind of fucking interruption."  
  
Shippou pictured the look the hanyou would likely have on his face in just such an event. especially considering what his reaction had been back before they'd mated and he'd accidentally interrupted. He tried not to wince and shuddered, "Point taken."  
  
"Especially if we happened to walk in on a delicate situation," Miroku pointed out, setting his jaw in annoyance. "How do you think Inuyasha would appreciate our presence if he was actually mating with Kagome when we arrived?"  
  
Shippou blanched, shaking his head in an effort to banish the image, "Hell, give me nightmares for the rest of my life, why don't you?"  
  
Miroku rolled his eyes and heaved a deep sigh. Inuyasha and Kagome had been gone longer than the week the hanyou had indicated, and that meant the hanyou had spent almost two weeks doing exactly what he had been trying to do for years. So why did Inuyasha have all the luck with getting a mate when he still had nothing?  
  
Life just wasn't fair sometimes.  
  
The brash, arrogant hanyou had managed- despite all his years of less than perfect behavior, to have Kagome fall in love with him, no matter how rude and nasty he'd been to her. Granted even he had seen the moments that Inuyasha had been kind, even affectionate. and he WAS damned protective of the young miko, but still!  
  
He was just as attractive as Inuyasha, more so in his own humble opinion, and he was much more polite when the women were close enough to hear him. So why was the hanyou mating with Kagome when he still had yet to convince Sango- or any other girl lately for that matter, to so much as kiss him properly? At this rate the hanyou was going to have an heir before he had even found a steady bedmate. Especially with his every attempt to get close to Sango still resulting in his rather painful acquaintance with the Hiraikotsu and Kagome quite effectively removed from his list of backup possibilities. It would be rude to ask her now -not to mention possibly detrimental to his own health, now that Inuyasha had staked a real claim.  
  
Miroku let out a heavy, heartfelt sigh, shaking his head, "Fate is truly a cruel thing."  
  
Shippou looked at him in confusion, "What the hell are you talking about? Sango really must have hit you too hard the last time she brought that thing down on your head."  
  
"I am beginning to see why Inuyasha makes a habit of throwing you into trees, Shippou," he gave the kit a dry glare before returning his gaze to Sango and admiring the perfect execution behind her rather violent attack.  
  
"I'll tell Okaa-san you're being mean to me and now that she's a youkai she can slam your ass into the ground just like she does to Inuyasha," he turned his nose up arrogantly. "And you know you can't do anything back to her or Inuyasha will take your head off."  
  
"Maybe I should tell Inuyasha you said he wasn't strong enough for Kagome," Miroku returned in a disturbingly calm tone of voice. "I wonder what he would do if he heard that?"  
  
Shippou paled, his fists clenching convulsively in the monks robes as his tail bristled in agitation, "You wouldn't!!"  
  
"Try me, brat," he glanced at Sango, making certain she wouldn't see before he turned to smirk tauntingly at the terrified kitsune. "I'm not feeling forgiving at the moment under the circumstances."  
  
"But you're a monk!" Shippou squealed in agitation. "Monks aren't supposed to try and get kids killed on purpose!"  
  
Miroku restored his perfectly stoic expression as he again turned his gaze away from the kit, "On purpose? Why, Shippou, I'm shocked at your accusation! I would merely repeat what I have heard to voice my concerns to Inuyasha."  
  
"Liar! I'm going to bit your ears off when you're sleeping, you- AH!!" Shippou cut off, shrieking and disappearing down the back of the monk's robes when a large portion of one youkai came crashing to a halt directly in front of them.  
  
Miroku's expression didn't change in the slightest as the dust settled around them, but he waited patiently until it completely cleared before he started walking towards the panting taijiya. By the time he reached her side, Kirara was de-transformed and perching on the woman's shoulder while Sango straightened and casually slung the Hiraikotsu around to her back, "I'm really starting to hate insect youkai."  
  
"We could have passed by this nest if there are more pressing matters you have to attend to, Sango," Miroku pointed out, absently spearing a wriggling portion of one of the youkai and ignoring the hiss of purifying energy that spread through it. "There were no rumors of shards in this direction," he reminded her.  
  
"We couldn't leave that village to be terrorized," she made a face, reaching up to absently stroke Kirara as she lowered her mask to hang around her neck. "And this is still in the direction that Inuyasha and Kagome were traveling in when he left."  
  
Shippou peeked his head back out over Miroku's shoulder and let out a sound of exasperation, "We really should be waiting. What if we interrupt and piss him off like Miroku said?"  
  
Sango gave the monk a suspicious look, "Like Miroku said?"  
  
Miroku managed to look perfectly innocent, "I was merely speculating on what state Inuyasha and Kagome could possibly be in if we catch them by surprise."  
  
"Pervert," she rolled her eyes and muttered in annoyance, brushing past them on her way back to the main path.  
  
"Well he has a point this time," Shippou made the jump from monk to exterminator and chewed on his lip as he tried to look thoughtful. "I mean, Inuyasha has seemed really happy the other times he and Okaa-san went off alone. Won't he be pretty pissed off if we cut that short?"  
  
"He said a week," Sango muttered in annoyance, shaking her head to deny her own misgivings at hunting out the absent pair. "I was not about to sit and wait in that village until he decided it was convenient to come back and tell us everything was all right."  
  
"Nothing will happen to Kagome-sama with Inuyasha," Miroku chided gently as he trailed along behind her, his gaze tilted down to the interesting sway of her hips in the clinging taijiya uniform.  
  
"I'm more concerned with what will happen to Kagome-chan with Inuyasha," she snorted and glared back over her shoulder meaningfully.  
  
Miroku held up a hand in an innocent gesture until she turned her gaze forward again, letting out a silent sigh of relief that he'd escaped her unpredictable temper without injury, "He won't hurt her, Sango, you know that."  
  
"Houshi-sama, she has been acting so. so unlike herself in the last month," Sango's hands fisted hard at her sides until Kirara mewled and stroked the girl's face in an effort to soothe her.  
  
"Kagome-sama has undergone some major transformations in a short period of time," he shrugged, lifting a hand to stroke his chin absently. "I'm sure things will settle back to normal, or rather, as normal as things can possibly be for us," he clenched his sealed hand.  
  
"You don't honestly think that Kagome-chan can accept being changed into a strange cross that's more youkai than human?" she stopped and turned to frown back at the monk, her jaw set and eyes filled with subdued concern. "That she's suddenly mated to THE most arrogant and strongest hanyou I think any of us have ever seen. And to top it off, he's put a barrier on her like a collar? How stupid do you think I am, houshi-sama? Kagome-chan is not going to be pleased when her head clears again."  
  
Miroku reached up and set his hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze, "You're forgetting that Kagome-sama does not seem overly concerned with changing into a youkai, and that she happens to be ridiculously in love with that arrogant hanyou. Anyone can see that."  
  
Sango averted her face, a faint grunt of frustration working free, "Inuyasha takes advantage of that." She allowed her eyes to fill with concern, 'And Kagome-chan lets him... Is it really possible to be that much in love? Or is that just part of Kagome-chan's personality to love so completely?'  
  
Her brows lowered sharply when she felt the hand on her shoulder make the inevitable path down her spine and turn to squeeze when it reached her backside. She sighed heavily, bringing her elbow back hard into his stomach, "Is it too difficult to have a conversation without finding your hand groping where it shouldn't, you perverted houshi?"  
  
Miroku blinked in surprise at her calm, annoyed tone as he rubbed the new soreness on his stomach, "You really are worried about this."  
  
Shippou nodded, "No kidding, you didn't even slap him." He made a face and sighed miserably, "You guys are all getting boring and calm lately. How am I supposed to get my entertainment?"  
  
Both adults turned annoyed expressions to the little kitsune, making him fidget nervously before he hopped down to the ground and started to trot on ahead, "Ah. I think I'll. check the trail."  
  
Sango huffed in agitation, folding her arms over her chest, "Entertainment."  
  
"Honestly," Miroku tightened his fingers around his staff, the rings jingling melodically as he tapped it impatiently against the packed earth. "Inuyasha is far more entertaining than you or I could ever be."  
  
She reached over to smack him upside the head, "I believe you missed the point completely, houshi-sama."  
  
He gave her a hurt look, rubbing his head, "But it is true. You have laughed at Inuyasha just as much as the rest of us, Sango."  
  
"But he was always there to hear it," she pointed out, turning to start after Shippou to hide the faint blush on her cheeks. "It's very rude to say things like that when Inuyasha isn't present to defend himself."  
  
"You mean when Inuyasha isn't present to puff up and get frustrated enough to snap at us until Kagome-sama sits him?" he challenged in a deceptively mild voice, lips twitching with surpressed amusement.  
  
Sango lifted a hand to hide her own traitorous smile, feeling guilty about finding amusement while her friends' situation was still so unclear, "That has nothing to do with it, houshi-sama."  
  
Miroku nodded in the distracted way of someone who could easily see right through what the other person was saying, "Of course not."  
  
She gave him a sideways look, eyes narrowed and searching on his calm expression, "You're thinking something perverted, aren't you?"  
  
He blinked in genuine surprise, turning to look at her, "Why would you say such a thing, Sango? I was merely pondering on our attempt to locate Inuyasha." He straighted his posture with a slightly regal air, lifting his nose in affront, "Besides, I am a monk, as you all seem to forget."  
  
Sango had opened her mouth to respond when Shippou let out a shriek from in front of them, racing back down the path and launching himself up and over Miroku to cling to the monk's robes. He peeked up, pointing to the path ahead, "It's right behind me! It must have been from the nest!"  
  
"I guess I missed one," Sango shook her head in frustrated annoyance when the youkai emerged from the foliage ahead. Lifting her mask back to her face as Kirara hopped off her shoulder and moved to the side, she muttered, "Move back, houshi-sama, this shouldn't take more than a moment."  
  
Miroku nodded and stepped back, poised in a defensive position as she dragged the Hiraikotsu forward. He sighed again with feeling when he watched her bring the massive weapon up and around with a wordless shout, sending it ripping through the trees in front of them when the centipede youkai reared up to attack, 'Miroku, you are some sort of twisted masochist to be so hung up on the single woman who makes a habit of trying to crack your skull every time you show affection.'  
  
Sango smirked slightly as the boomerang sliced the youkai in half, holding up her hand to catch it effortlessly on the return trip. Compared to their usual battles lately, these little youkai almost seemed like nothing more complex than target practice. And while it was still a little frustrating to get distracted from her main objective, the release of tension still felt good. "Now if we could only find Kagome-chan and Inuyasha so we can make the hunting worthwhile," she set one fist on her hip. "We can't even look for shards without her to see them for us."  
  
Miroku nodded, relaxing his stance, "There is no greater way to appreciate her unique skills than to try and hunt without them, ne? It's quite difficult to find something you cannot see."  
  
Shippou's hands tightened in Miroku's robes again and he hissed out as he looked past Sango to where the centipede twitched and started to shift restlessly, "Um. guys. I think one just found us."  
  
Sango spun around just as Miroku looped an arm around her waist and yanked her backwards when the centipede slammed down where they had been standing a moment ago. Swearing in agitation, she slid out of his hold and flung the boomerang again, "I'm really REALLY starting to hate insect youkai!"  
  
The tail end lashed around in a violent arc, and Miroku grunted under the effort of deflecting the attack with his staff, "It MUST have a shard to be so resiliant to our attacks, Sango." He stayed poised to defend as he set his jaw and searched for some sign of where the piece could possibly be located.  
  
"I know, houshi-sama, I know!" she caught the handle of her Hiraikotsu, the force behind her previous throw dragging her backwards slightly. "But without Kagome-chan we have to do this the old fashioned way. Kirara!"  
  
Miroku winced and muttered under his breath in annoyance even as the cat youkai scampered to Sango's side and transformed, "Wonderful, a little fucking piece at a time."  
  
Shippou smacked him on the back of the head and hissed urgently, "You're the laziest monk I've ever seen!"  
  
Sango leapt astride her pet, but no sooner had she settled into place when the youkai split abruptly, violently down the middle. While the trio stared in confused shock, both halves when crashing to the ground with a resounding shudder that kicked up a wealth of dust and debris.  
  
"Oi! I thought I told you to wait for us in the village," Inuyasha voice carried through the concealing shroud before it settled enough to reveal the hanyou standing with a bare foot braced against one twitching half. He let out a faintly annoyed tsking sound, carefully easing Kagome down off his back with one arm, "So you win that one, koi. They did try to track me."  
  
Kagome coughed into her hand, frowning at him in annoyance as she walked to the glowing portion of flesh a short distance away and knelt to find the shard, "Well you said you told them we'd be back a week ago."  
  
"They can take care of themselves for an extra week. Hell, Kagome, they're adults," he tilted his nose up and snorted, but then made a face and looked pointedly at Miroku. "Sango's an adult anyway."  
  
"Leave Sango-chan and Miroku-sama alone, baka. They don't need to suffer from your weird mood too," she scolded, rising to her feet and slipping the shard into the makeshift pouch Inuyasha had made until she could get a new vial.  
  
Inuyasha smirked arrogantly, trailing along behind her for a moment before giving her a light smack on the backside that had her yelping and swatting at his hand. He chuckled and offered in an almost disturbingly cheerful voice, "You're still pink."  
  
She turned to face him this time and slapped him on the shoulder, the pink in her cheeks turning into a full blown blush, "I said I'm sorry, okay?!"  
  
Miroku recovered, clearing his throat when he saw a glint in the hanyou's eyes that could only spell more trouble for the obviously embarrassed girl, "Ah. welcome back, Kagome-sama."  
  
Kagome gave Inuyasha one more frown, wrinkling her nose as she folded her arms across her chest and turned her attention to the others, "Arigatou, Miroku-sama."  
  
Sango looked impossibly confused as she slid off Kirara, her mind working in an effort to readjust from the battle mindset to the return of the two people she'd been searching for in the first place. Kagome looked different, not the blush, but she looked calmer. She was back to that almost human form, dressed in the washed and apparantly magically repaired kimono and hakama she'd been wearing when they found her with Naraku. But it was the look in her eyes really that had the taijiya, the most confused. She looked. happy?  
  
She frowned and looked back and forth between the miko and the hanyou as Inuyasha moved to her side and slid his arm around her waist in a blatantly possessive motion, 'That's impossible. She was so upset two weeks ago!' And why was she apologizing just for Inuyasha saying she was pink?  
  
At least that answer shouldn't be too confusing, she thought with mild annoyance, and inquiring almost hesitantly, "Sorry for what, Kagome- chan?"  
  
Kagome's reaction to that innocent question was completely unexpected, both monk and exterminator reflexively dropping into defensives stances when the younger girl spun around. Inuyasha ducked the hand she swept out towards his mouth, laughing delightedly when he met the panic- stricken eyes and closed his hands in his haori and the kimono beneath.  
  
"Don't-! Inuyasha-!!!" Kagome made another grab for him, hissing in frustration when he sidestepped her attempt and yanked both wide open over his chest.  
  
Sango let out a startled gasp, stumbling back against Kirara and barely registering Miroku's own exclamation as she turned wide, disbelieving eyes to Kagome's averted, darkly flushed cheeks, "Kagome-chan! You. you did THAT?!"  
  
"And these!" Inuyasha swept his hair back over his shoulder to show off four more long, healing gashes down and across the right side of his neck. "You should see my back."  
  
Kagome clamped her hand over his mouth, blushing even worse than she had before and growling at him, "Don't you fucking dare!"  
  
"What?" he asked with perfectly feigned innocence, but the twitching at the corners of her lips gave away the wicked amusement dancing below the surface even more than the dark glitter in his eyes.  
  
Shippou tugged at Miroku's robe and whispered in confusion, "Why is Inuyasha so happy that Okaa-san clawed his chest?"  
  
At Kagome's warning look, Miroku had to bite his lip to contain his own amusement, especially considering the pattern of marks down his chest would be most consistent with her fingertips raking down. He could only imagine what the hanyou had been doing to "encourage" her to make so many.  
  
Inuyasha's shoulders were obviously shaking with laughter as he nipped at her fingers and set about retying his robes, "All right, all right. I won't show them the other ones."  
  
Kagome smacked him upside the head, giving an impressive growl for her almost human form and stalking over to where Shippou had grinned and reached out for her, "You shouldn't have shown them THOSE ones."  
  
Inuyasha was still smirking, calmly walking to reach up and pat Kirara on the head, perfectly oblivious to Sango's continued shock, "If you think I'm ever forgetting the look on your face when you finally sweated that heat out of your system and saw what you'd done, you're mistaken, little girl."  
  
"Could we talk about this later?" Kagome gritted her teeth, gesturing to Sango's rising blush of understanding and Miroku's "coughing" fit.  
  
"Of course!" he grinned easily, folding his arms over his chest.  
  
She rolled her eyes, looking down at Shippou when she felt his little hands pat on her stomach lightly, "So what trouble did you get into while I was gone?"  
  
Shippou made a face, "I just had to listen to Miroku bitching about getting hit on the head every time he groped Sango. And even that wasn't that often." He pressed a bit harder on her stomach, frowning when he felt the muscles contract, "It was way beyond boring."  
  
Inuyasha growled, reaching out and plucking the kit up and off her by the tail, "Kagome's not quite healed, brat. No poking."  
  
"Be nice," Kagome instructed absently, already moving away from the growling pair, her attention centered on Sango.  
  
The hanyou paused in his growling to frown at Kagome scoldingly, "Oi! You agreed to keep close after you tripped this morning."  
  
She rolled her eyes, "Different circumstances, koishii, THEN my legs were tangled up in your haori. I'm not going to fall."  
  
Shippou looked up at the concerned indecision on the hanyou's face when Kagome turned her back and reached out to take Sango's hands. His eyes narrowed and he smirked wickedly as he whispered, "Ahhh... so THAT'S what's different."  
  
"You say one word, brat, and you aren't going to live long enough to find out if you're right," Inuyasha snarled back at him.  
  
"So I'm right AND she doesn't know," Shippou nodded sagely and looked supremely proud of himself. "This is even better than having the claw thing that got me my chocolate last time!"  
  
Inuyasha bared his fangs, shooting a quick look up to where Miroku was reaching up to feel Kagome's forehead. The monk's lips were quirked in a taunt that had the girl blushing and swatting his hands away while Sango brought her boomerang down over his head and gave Kagome an apologetic smile.  
  
Certain all three of them were distracted, he hoisted the kitsune up higher, "You were never in any danger of getting your ass beat if you spilled 'the claw thing.' You let this slip before I tell her and you're going to be trying to find your way back for weeks from where I throw you."  
  
"So what did you do wrong?" Shippou folded his arms and tried to look superior from the undignified position.  
  
His eyes narrowed, "What makes you think I did something wrong?"  
  
"C'mon, I'm not as dense as you are," the kitsune snorted in annoyance. "You don't want Okaa-san to know, so you must have done something wrong."  
  
Inuyasha fought the urge to shake him, well aware that it would attract attention he didn't want or need even as his cheeks tinted slightly, "I didn't do anything wrong, you little shit! I just don't want Kagome to know yet. I'll find the right time to tell her, but it's not now."  
  
Shippou rolled his eyes, "Oh this is gonna be good."  
  
"Don't make me hurt you, Shippou," he growled menacingly.  
  
He just shook his head and somehow managed to look amazingly put out by the whole situation, "One condition."  
  
"I ought to rip your tail out."  
  
"You don't stop me from laying on her stomach so I can listen," he finished as though the threat had never been spoken.  
  
Inuyasha blinked down at him in mild surprise, his head tilting to one side as his ears flicked in confusion, "That's it? You just want to listen?"  
  
"What the hell did you think it would be?" Shippou looked up at him in annoyance. "I'll even help you take care of them until you tell her. You think I want something to happen to my new brother or sister or whatever she has?"  
  
He huffed, frowning slightly and giving the kit a glare of speculation, "You can keep your mouth shut?"  
  
"Promise," Shippou held up his hand and gave the hanyou his most solemn expression.  
  
Inuyasha set his jaw, clenching and unclenching his free hand before he nodded stiffly and set the kitsune on his shoulder, "All right. You can listen, but you tell me the fucking second you hear something that doesn't sound right."  
  
He grinned and gave him a mock salute he'd seen Kagome give once or twice, "Hai!"  
  
Kagome glanced up at the delighted chirp and let out a heartfelt groan, "I'd be willing to bet every shard I have that I've just picked up a babysitter."  
  
Sango blinked and looked past her to see Inuyasha looking particularly arrogant, his arms folded over his chest and Shippou trying to mimic the stance from the hanyou's shoulder, "That is a most terrifying sight, Kagome-chan."  
  
"At least it's not coming from your mate and son," she rubbed the ache starting at her temples. "Gods, I just calmed down too," she wrinkled her nose. "Although Inuyasha assured me I was just that big a bitch because of how close I was to heat when things started to get nasty. And here I thought PMS was bad."  
  
Sango kept her relief to herself at that, but was silently praising whatever gods had apparantly restored Kagome's calm disposition, "Then. you feel normal?"  
  
Kagome nodded, still distracted by the nearly identical looks on Inuyasha and Shippou's faces, "Hn. I'm going to be spending a long LONG time apologizing for being such a brat though. I wanted to crawl under a rock when everything settle out and I stopped feeling like I was ripping apart from the inside."  
  
"It wasn't that bad, Kagome-chan," Sango took her hand and squeezed, giving her an encouraging smile.  
  
"Tell that to Inuyasha's back," she blushed and found a point off in the woods very interesting for a moment. She finally looked back at her mate, frowning and rubbing at her head again, "Mou. What could they possible be plotting?"  
  
"Look on the bright side, Kagome-sama, at least they're not fighting," Miroku offered, rubbing his own head but for a totally different reason.  
  
"Oi, we're wasting time," Inuyasha cut into their muttered observations and turned his gaze up to the late afternoon sky. "In case you haven't been keeping track of the days, the moon's going to change soon. If we want to make it back to the village before Kagome and I swap for a night and see if that makes a mess, we need to get moving."  
  
Kagome nodded, rolling her eyes when Inuyasha turned his back to her and made a sound of impatience, "I can walk, Inuyasha."  
  
"You can ride just as easily," he returned in that annoyingly calm, authoratative voice he'd started to use more frequently in the last month.  
  
"This really isn't worth the argument," she shook her head, giving him a faint growl to display her reluctant compliance.  
  
Miroku smiled behind his hand, "Perhaps things will finally be calm this way, Kagome-sama. If even Inuyasha and Shippou are getting along, we should have a bit more peace and quiet, ne?"  
  
Kagome glanced at Miroku and reminded him in a whisper meant to reach only him and the taijiya as she started forward, "With Inuyasha and Shippou, that's not exactly a sign of peace. That's when it's time to really worry." 


	58. Suspicion Comes in Many Forms

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi.....  
  
A/N: Heh... gomen, minna. The puppy actually spent some time in hospital and then I was in LA with NO access to a computer! *wails dramatically* At least I have my computer back and I can pick up my typing again. Unfortunately, that set my schedule back for finishing up my story, but I still have a bit more of my winter break left. That means I should be able to get in some quality writing time. Coincidentally, I have to apologize to anyone who emailed me lately... While I was gone my sister overloaded my box and then erased everything, so I've lost all my email for the month. *rubs head and glares off at sister*  
  
*sighs* At any rate... I've had questions, so once more I'm going to say that yes, I do have a website and yes, there are three more chapters there than are posted here on fanfiction.net due to the new rating restrictions. www.tokyo-anime.net/iri/ For those who are of age and so inclined...  
  
For all of my beautiful, much adored and absolutely fabulous reviewers, thank you for your patience while I've been so slammed with real life. LOL, not nearly as much fun as writing, but hearing such great compliments from all you have helped keep me on top of my work here. I love you all, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story as much as you seem to have liked it so far.  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Suspicion Comes in Many Forms...  
  
"What is all this shit in these things, Kagome?" Inuyasha scowled at the writing on the snack package she was currently attempting to snatch out of his hands. "I can't pronounce half of it and it doesn't even sound like real food when I can."  
  
"It's called food processing, baka," she leaned up, but Inuyasha just lifted it up and out of her reach and continued reading off the ingredient list. "That's how it all keeps in my bag while we're traveling. Why are you so curious about it all of a sudden?"  
  
He frowned down at her, ignoring the question he hadn't come up with a plausible cover for and focusing on the unfamiliar word instead, "Processing?"  
  
She rolled her eyes and folded her arms over her chest, pouting but unwilling to make them a source of more laughter this evening for their highly amused companions. She turned to frown at them, more annoyed by the carefully bland expressions hiding the shine of forcefully suppressed mirth in their eyes than she would have been by a more open display. Setting her teeth against her own urge to stamp her foot like a little kid, she turned back to Inuyasha's expectant look and explained, "They use machines and things to make sure it doesn't spoil and tastes the way it's supposed to."  
  
Inuyasha turned his attention back to the package, "Is it natural?"  
  
Kagome gave him a look that clearly said she was having doubts about his state of mind as she repeated in confusion, "Natural?"  
  
"Fresh? Healthy?" he prodded, annoyed at the look on her face. 'Safe for developing pups? Something a pregnant bitch should be eating? Dammit, why didn't I think of the food thing sooner?'  
  
"You've got to be kidding me," Kagome lifted a hand to rub at the sudden ache that started at her temples. "Inuyasha, if you were really worried about all this, why didn't you ask me the first time I gave it to everyone? All you ever did was say 'what's this,' smell it, eat it, and then ask for more. Wait, that's not right," she poked him in the chest for emphasis. "You would just go digging through my pack trying to find more and tell me to get more if you couldn't find any."  
  
Inuyasha rubbed his chest and snorted, his mind racing to come up with something credible, "It just wasn't important before."  
  
"And just like that? Out of the blue it is?" she gave him a look of dry disbelief.  
  
Inuyasha blinked at her, momentarily at a loss over how to answer that without sounding horribly suspicious. Finally he just crossed his fingers behind his back and went for something completely irrational, but still true in his mind, "Now I think it's important, so it is."  
  
There was a short, abortive bark of laughter that had Kagome's gaze snapping around to where Miroku was apparently having a coughing fit into his hand while Sango found something particularly interesting about her lap. Shippou's lips were twitching suspiciously, but he was valiantly holding it in while his tail flicked rapidly with his own silent amusement.  
  
Inuyasha reached out and set a hand on her shoulder when he saw the pale azure of her eyes get more intense. When her focus turned back to him, he urged gently, "Breathe, koi. This isn't something to lose your temper over."  
  
Kagome gave him a flat look, but did indeed take a deep, slow breath to hold in the urge to smack him upside the head. It was obnoxious to acknowledge, but he was right about that... Not that she would 'admit' that to him, but she did make an effort to calm down. Only to blink in surprise when the heated emotion that had been rising in her blood almost immediately calmed. "For some reason, it's a lot easier than it used to be," she ran a hand through her hair and frowned in slight confusion.  
  
Inuyasha snorted, tapping a clawed hand over her heart, "You didn't get really bad until you got close to your heat. Now you've had your cycle and I took care of it, so of course it's easier."  
  
Kagome's cheeks heated, "Inuyasha!"  
  
"What?" he tilted his head in genuine bewilderment. "That's what was wrong for the most part. You've never had a heat before and your blood went over- board trying to catch up for the years it thought it missed."  
  
"You aren't going to convince me that the only reason I was acting so horrible was because I wanted to have sex with you," she gritted out in a low whisper, trying to prevent her friends from overhearing, but well aware she was failing when they leaned forward eagerly.  
  
Inuyasha smirked arrogantly and patted her on the head, "You're calm now, aren't you?"  
  
"Weren't we discussing my craving for potato chips just a second ago?" she folded her arms over her chest and gave him a very pointed glare, warning him to change the subject to something less personal.  
  
He shook his head, holding the bag behind his back when she reached for it again, "You were arguing, I'm already done discussing. If it's not natural, you shouldn't be eating it, Kagome. I'll find you something else to eat."  
  
"You'll find something?" Kagome tilted her head and repeated in a disbelieving tone.  
  
"Something fresh," he rocked absently on the balls of his feet, his eyes going down to her stomach. "Healthy."  
  
Kagome arched an eyebrow and set her fists on her hips as she leaned up on her toes to growl at him, "I refuse to take nutritional advice from a hanyou who would live off nothing but instant ramen if given half the chance."  
  
"It's completely different for a bitch," he nodded sagely. "And since you're my bitch, it's my responsibility to make sure you're eating properly."  
  
"Inuyasha, you have exactly two seconds to hand over that bag or I'm going to bite you, and this time you won't like it."  
  
Shippou was biting down so hard on his lip he was sure he was about to draw blood as he glanced up at Sango and Miroku and whispered in delight, "Oh gods, this is even better than before!"  
  
Miroku and Sango nodded in unison, all serious thoughts forgotten in light of the highly amusing scene playing out in front of them. Kagome was starting to growl in frustration, awkwardly trying to reach around the hanyou to grab at her chosen snack while he used his advantage of height to hold it just out of range each time.  
  
"It's almost like she's completely back to normal," Sango commented, her voice tinted with slight skepticism under her amusement. She was delighted to see the girl looking so well and acting so much like her old self, but did it really take the -in her eyes, extreme measures Inuyasha had employed?  
  
"Inuyasha-sama selected the most appropriate way to deal with Kagome-sama's state of mind," Myouga murmured from his perch on Shippou's shoulder, sipping at his sake as he did his best to look unconcerned with the entire situation.  
  
"He must have or you'd have left the first time Okaa-san growled," Shippou remarked dryly.  
  
"You should show your elders more respect!" Myouga flushed and hopped in agitation while Shippou rolled his eyes and looked back at where Kagome was starting to boost herself up on Inuyasha's legs to reach higher. "I already told you why I was away," he huffed angrily.  
  
Miroku glanced briefly at the flea before letting his gaze return to the bickering pair, "You had said you were making an effort to assist Inuyasha with this spell."  
  
"Of course I was!" Myouga snorted, folding his arms and tilting his nose up.  
  
After a moment of nothing but the background sound of Inuyasha and Kagome arguing the nutritional properties of potato chips, the trio of onlookers gave Myouga nearly identical dry looks, "And?"  
  
Myouga's cheeks turned slightly pink, "Well. it's ah. quite unique."  
  
Shippou propped his chin up on his hand, "If that's all you've got, Inuyasha is definitely going to flatten you."  
  
The little flea fumed, bouncing up and down on Shippou's head, "The spell is hard to research when none of the youkai knew such a thing was possible! I was more interested in their advice over how to transition Kagome-sama."  
  
"Transition?" Sango frowned in confusion.  
  
"Well, she obviously can no longer live as a human," he shrugged, settling back down and scratching his head absently. "Kagome-sama is even more youkai than Inuyasha, but for some reason, that seems to make Inuyasha- sama's youkai blood stronger."  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Miroku's curiosity spiked as he looked back and forth between the flea and the argument.  
  
"Normally a hanyou's body is too weak to sustain transformations back and forth from youkai to hanyou," Myouga shrugged. "You are aware of that, and you saw the side effects when Inuyasha-sama changed before. Since the two of them were bound, Inuyasha-sama's aura has grown more powerful. His body and mind make the transformation easily, and the usual clash between his human and youkai side have settled."  
  
"Kagome-sama helps his youkai blood?" Miroku blinked in mild surprise at that piece of information.  
  
Myouga nodded sagely, "Something about the blood in her, whether it's her own, or the youkai blood, it actually fights to make him stronger. If she senses he's weakening or losing control, she pulls the excess from him, purifies it, and gives it back. She has been doing it more openly since she lost most of her human blood while she was in Naraku's company, but even before that she was using her power to strengthen him. It's not uncommon behavior between mates."  
  
"Ite! Dammit, bitch-!"  
  
"Give me that bag, Inuyasha!"  
  
"It isn't good for you!"  
  
"I'm looking for tasty, not healthy, you arrogant baka!"  
  
Myouga sighed wearily, "Unfortunately, so is that."  
  
Sango gave him a highly disbelieving look, "You're kidding, ne?"  
  
The flea demon shook his head, heaving an exaggerated sigh of long- suffering as he wiped a little cloth across his head, "Inuyasha-sama and Kagome-sama are newly mated, and they are both vying for the position of dominance in their pairing. Mostly they won't realize it, but it's instinctive, and it will continue until Kagome-sama accepts Inuyasha-sama's place."  
  
"You don't think Kagome-chan will 'win' that position?" Sango frowned disapprovingly at the complete confidence Myouga seemed to have in the hanyou's victory.  
  
Shippou was the one who snorted and answered in his most "high and mighty" tone, "An inu male back down submissively? One like Inuyasha? Don't be dense, Sango, Okaa-san'll compromise WAY before he would even consider it. Look at the whole thing with her 'collar,' she hasn't mentioned it or gone more than three feet from him since they got back."  
  
Miroku nodded in agreement, "Kagome-sama is far too compassionate to continue pushing him for extended periods of time, and she does not appear to mind unless she is trying to return to her time."  
  
She sighed and sat back, her eyes concerned, "It just. doesn't seem fair to her."  
  
"Kagome-sama is happy with Inuyasha, Sango," he assumed one of his most classic meditative poses, well aware her eyes were on his profile as he spoke. "We should be so lucky in the paths we choose for ourselves."  
  
Sango blinked, a faint blush touching her face, "Houshi-sama."  
  
Miroku's hand froze where it hovered over the curve of Sango's backside when a ringing "Pervert!" rose over the sound of Inuyasha's voice, turning his stomach upside down with the remarkable speed he'd been caught in this time. He pulled back, expecting to feel either the bite of Sango's hand, or worse, the weight of her Hiraikotsu coming down over his head. However, when he opened his eyes, he saw Sango's eyes again across the path and turned in mild surprise to blink at the now oddly positioned pair, 'It was Kagome?'  
  
"You WOULD think something like that at a time like this!" Kagome was hissing down at Inuyasha, her cheeks flushed with renewed embarrassment.  
  
"It would only be perverted if I wasn't your mate, bitch," he shot back, still holding the chips out of her reach. "And the answer is still no. Sit down and I'll get you something else!"  
  
Shippou shook his head at their behavior, deciding it was time to give Inuyasha a little help when Miroku and Sango both began to snicker behind their hands. He scampered down to where his "parents" were arguing, Inuyasha bent so far back that Shippou was astounded the hanyou hadn't gone toppling over backwards. Especially since Kagome was kneeling on his stomach, leaning over him in her efforts to get at the bag of chips in his outstretched hand.  
  
Taking advantage of the mutual distraction, Shippou stretched up on his toes and snatched the bag of chips for himself before making his way back to his perch by the amused human pair, "This would probably be a lot easier all around if they weren't the two most stubborn people in the world."  
  
Miroku absently reached over to take a chip when the kitsune ripped the bag open, relieved at not being on the receiving end of a slap for his aborted attempt, and munching as he commented thoughtfully, "But a great deal less entertaining."  
  
"True," he grinned up at the monk, his tail flicking. "How long until she gives in and 'sits' him?"  
  
"I imagine it will be as soon as she realizes you've eaten her chips," Miroku nodded once, his expression yet again set in calm, stoic lines.  
  
Shippou glared at him, making a mental note to stash the bag somewhere near the monk when he finished with it, "I'm being helpful. If I eat them, they won't have something to fight over. Inuyasha gets to bring her food, Okaa- san still gets to eat, everybody's happy."  
  
"And since when do you concern yourself with how Inuyasha and Kagome-chan are getting along?" Sango's brows lifted suspiciously. "You're usually the one trying to encourage Kagome-chan to get annoyed with him."  
  
"With everything that's happened, it doesn't seem fair to do that," he shrugged, immensely proud of himself for already having considered getting this question. After his other attempts at keeping secrets from Sango and Miroku, this time he had prepared, "They need to relax just as much as the rest of us do."  
  
Any response they might have made went on hold when Inuyasha let out an unintelligible sound of annoyance and purposefully dropped back. Kagome broke off growling immediately, squeaking in surprise and tangling her hands in his haori reflexively to hold on. He grunted when his back hit the grass, absorbing the impact and frowning up at her while his hands went to her hips.  
  
"Do you have to fight with me about every little thing, koi?" he squeezed lightly, rubbing his hands up to the narrow curve of her waist and back down.  
  
Kagome set her jaw against the urge to give into the warmth in his amber eyes and the soothing stroke, "It's just a snack, Inuyasha. It's not like I'm knocking back anything dangerous."  
  
"You'll still be better off with real food," he pinched her, smirking when she yipped and slapped at his hands. "Come on, just sit here and I'll find something safe for you. Let me take care of it before the sun goes down and we see what swaps."  
  
"I don't like this calm, cheerful hanyou who's seemed to have taken over your body, Inuyasha," she muttered, leaning over to tweak his ear. "He's obnoxious, and he makes me miss my rude, arrogant, immature mate. The one who let me eat whatever I wanted."  
  
Inuyasha chuckled at her disgruntled tone, nipping at her breast as he sat up and wrapped his arms around her to keep her from jumping back, "Smart ass."  
  
She folded her arm over her chest and huffed, frowning as she realized both his hands were on her. She leaned around, searching the grass for the bag, "What happened to my chips?"  
  
Inuyasha blinked, looking down at both his hands, up at her, and then over to the others just in time to see Shippou dump the bag in the monk's lap. Despite his best efforts he was chuckling as he nudged Kagome's cheek with his chin, "You have a thief."  
  
"Thief?" she repeated in confusion, following the direction until her eyes fell on Miroku, the bag in his lap as he obliviously munched on yet another chip. Her eyes narrowed, "Excuse me, Inuyasha, I have to go chew off someone's hand."  
  
Inuyasha was biting back his amusement when he felt her chest start to vibrate with a growl, stroking her back soothingly, "Easy, koi, don't puff up and kill him just yet. He's a good fighter."  
  
"A good fighter who's eating my food when you won't let me," she muttered.  
  
He shrugged, "I don't care if he gets sick, but whether you do or not is a completely different matter."  
  
Kagome stuck out her tongue, planting both hands on his chest and shoving as she rose to her feet, "You're being overbearing."  
  
"You love me this way," he returned with a smug look, folding his arms behind his head.  
  
"Mmm, apparently I'm out of my mind," she rolled her eyes, stepping on his stomach and smirking at his surprised grunt as she started towards their friends.  
  
Shippou was already bouncing in delight, holding out his arms to be picked up when she came close, "Are we stopping for the night?"  
  
Inuyasha rolled to his feet in a fluid motion, stretching as he shook his head and followed Kagome's progess with overprotective concern, "We have enough time to eat and make it back to Kaede-baba's by sunset. I'd rather be there when we find out how my blood decides to handle the new moon this time."  
  
"I'm hungry, Inuyasha, and I'm not feeling very patient," Kagome lifted Shippou absently, stroking his hair as he snuggled up to her stomach and grinned. "If you can't get me something soon, I'm eating your ramen."  
  
"All right, all right," he rolled his eyes and casually went to her side and kissed her on the forehead. "I'll be back soon, and I won't be far. Yell if you need me."  
  
She made a face but reached out and squeezed his hand reassuringly, "I can keep out of trouble for a few minutes."  
  
"I'd feel even better if you promised to sit down in one spot and wait for me," he reached out and slid his arm around her waist.  
  
"Don't push your luck," Kagome leaned up on her toes, giving his hair a yank even as she gave him a quick kiss. "Go, I want food."  
  
Inuyasha chuckled, wishing he had the freedom to tease her about getting demanding now that she was pupped, but wisely keeping that to himself. Instead he nodded, lifting her off her feet and sitting her down on the grass between Sango and Miroku, "Stay."  
  
"Sonofa-!" Kagome fumed when her legs went numb, but Inuyasha was still holding her up enough the she didn't slam to the ground. "Inuyasha!!"  
  
He patted her on the head and darted off in a blur, the sound of his laughter echoing back to them.  
  
"Oooh, I'm going to kill that baka," Kagome hissed in irritation, turning to glare in the direction she could feel him in.  
  
Miroku very calmly diffused her temper, handing her the remainder of the chips, "At least wait until after you have eaten, Kagome-sama."  
  
Shippou intercepted the bag and hopped off her lap, shaking his head when Kagome looked at him in surprise, "You really probably shouldn't eat these if they're not fresh, Okaa-san."  
  
Kagome's brows lowered suspiciously, tilting her head and looking up at first Sango and then Miroku, "Am I sick? Did Inuyasha tell you something when I wasn't awake or when I was gone?"  
  
They shook their heads, looking equally confused while Sango remarked absently, "Maybe it's just universally a youkai male thing. They hovered before whenever you were ill, what if they just think this is how to prevent it?"  
  
"I AM still here, you know," Shippou grumbled dryly at being excluded from the conversation so quickly.  
  
Miroku ignored the comment, rubbing his chin and appearing to ponder, "Inuyasha's logic is not always easily understood."  
  
"True," Kagome chewed on her lip and then brightened. "Myouga-jiji!"  
  
The little flea gulped, freezing on Shippou's head, "Me, Kagome-sama?"  
  
She fidgetted, rubbing her thighs in an effort to speed the return of feeling, "You usually know what's going on with Inuyasha, Myouga-jiji. Why is he being so fanatical about what I eat?"  
  
"Ah.well. you see," Myouga cleared his throat nervously, looking around the circle of inquistive faces. "It's. it's not uncommon for a youkai to have such concerns when newly mated, Kagome-sama. Especially with a. young mate," he clasped his hands together in an effort to look more calm.  
  
Sango frowned and shared a look with Kagome before turning her attention back to the flea, "A young mate?"  
  
Kagome shook her head, "This isn't really making sense, you know. I don't see what being young has to do with Inuyasha and Shippou not wanting me to eat potato chips."  
  
Once again, Myouga was saved from having to answer when Inuyasha came bounding back into the clearing, looking supremely proud of himself as he showed off a fat pair of rabbits. Kagome blinked up at him and couldn't help but giggle behind her hand, whispering to Sango, "Damn, I love it when he looks like that."  
  
Sango's own lips twitched in amusement, "You mean like he's about ten years old?"  
  
She nodded, giving him a warm smile as he walked over to her and crouched down, "That was fast."  
  
"I had to get back before you could get up and wander around without me," he smirked and held the rabbits out to her. "Does your little portable fire thing cook meat or just water?"  
  
"I think it can handle rabbits," Kagome reached up and scratched his ear, her smile growing when he tilted his head into her touch. When he grinned and went to poke at the little stove, she shook her head and added to the exterminator, "The only bad thing about it is that I can't stay mad when he looks like that."  
  
Miroku blinked when the two of them giggled quietly behind their hands, tilting his head and looking over at the hanyou curiously, 'Is it really that simple?'  
  
Shippou looked a bit annoyed, wandering away from Kagome and over to Inuyasha, "You need to tell her soon, Inuyasha. This is a lot harder than I thought it would be."  
  
Inuyasha looked down at him, frowning as he glanced over to Kagome and make sure she wasn't listening, "What do you mean it's harder than you thought?"  
  
"She's not completely naive, baka," Shippou rolled his eyes. "And any idiot would notice suddenly getting told what to eat. She's asking Myouga-jiji if it's normal youkai behavior."  
  
"How the fuck does he know?" Inuyasha's brows lowered in irritation.  
  
"He IS a youkai, and you can't think he wouldn't try doing his flea thing," he shrugged. "You weren't exactly subtle about marking her either. Any youkai can sense or smell what you did. Except her, but I doubt she knows what to feel for."  
  
"One of these days I'm going to beat your head in until you tell me how old you really are," he huffed impatiently, cleaning the rabbits and tearing strips of meat to lay across the heated surface.  
  
Shippou snickered, "I'm young, not stupid. Otou-san used to say I drove him crazy with how many questions I'd ask."  
  
Inuyasha blinked down at him, more than a little amazed that the kitsune was talking about his murdered father so easily, 'Is it this? Feeling like he's in a pack again that makes him relax?'  
  
"Anyhow," he shrugged again and glanced over at Kagome, "he also used to say that when a bitch is. like that, you shouldn't ever keep them waiting if they're hungry. He said Okaa-san got mean before I was born."  
  
He smiled in amusement, "I'll keep that in mind."  
  
Shippou nodded, plopping down beside the hanyou and rocking absently, "So do I get to name one of them?"  
  
Inuyasha nearly burned himself, gaping down at the kitsune in shock, "What did you just say?!"  
  
He glanced up innocently, his tail swishing back and forth, "It's only fair, ne? I'm their big brother!"  
  
"How many fucking hearbeats are you hearing?" he hissed in shock, grabbing hold of the kit and lifting him up face to face.  
  
"Inuyasha?" Kagome's voice had both their heads snapping up guiltily, but her attention was past them, on the meat.  
  
Inuyasha let out a relieved breath and snatched up a strip, holding it out to her, "It's better for you if it's still a little-"  
  
"Bloody," Shippou supplied when the hanyou trailed off, not nearly as concerned with what her human side might think of that kind of thing.  
  
Luckily for both of them, Kagome simply sat down beside the two and snatched it out of his hands, barely chewing before she swallowed and held out her hand for more. Inuyasha blinked, shared a look with the kitsune who just shrugged again and prodded for him to comply. Inuyasha shook his head and smirked, obediently passing her another piece of meat, "Try to chew this time, koi. Slowly."  
  
She stuck out her tongue again, but took more time with the second piece, "I'm starving, Inuyasha. I just. didn't realize it until I smelled this."  
  
He set Shippou on his shoulder, reaching over to hook his hands under her arms and drag her over into his lap. He turned her around to set her back against his chest, wrapping an arm around her waist and tucking his legs up around her, "I'll make sure you have more tonight."  
  
Kagome nodded and reached for another piece, "That sounds good."  
  
Sango looked across the clearing at them, sighing more than a little enviously, "I think you were right, houshi-sama. She is happy, isn't she?"  
  
Miroku nodded, "Hard to believe considering. well, everything, but I find it most difficult to imagine either of them with anyone else."  
  
She propped her chin up on her hand when Kagome nipped at Inuyasha's fingers for holding the last piece of meat out of her reach, "If they don't kill each other."  
  
"Have no fear of that, Sango," he leaned back, closing his eyes and giving every appearance of perfect relaxation. "Kagome-sama and Inuyasha would never seriously do each other harm."  
  
Kagome was thinking along a much different vein when Inuyasha slipped a piece past her to eat himself, "Inuyasha, si-"  
  
He cut her off, clapping a hand over his mouth, "Don't! We're too close to sunset and the last time that happened, you were the one who went down."  
  
Kagome's brow furrowed as her eyes searched his, slowly nodding as he drew his hand away, "All right."  
  
Inuyasha sighed, smiling in satisfaction, "Wait until morning, koi. If you're still angry at me then, you can say it."  
  
Her eyes narrowed slightly, suspiciously as he turned his attention back to feeding her, absently chiding Shippou not to make himself sick on the chips. 'Something strange is definitely going on. But what in the world could make Inuyasha act like this? And Shippou!'  
  
Kagome watched them unobtrusively from beneath the shielding curtain of her hair, 'What could you two be hiding?' 


	59. Under the Black Moon

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
A/N: LOL, all right, all right, enough with the threats! J/K, I don't mind too much. Just got my grades for first semester. *dances with glee* MWAH HA!! 4.0 in college!! *continues to dance* Heh, okay, I have it out of my system. I know you've all been waiting and I hope to get the next chapter out fairly quickly, however, I can't make promises. Especially seeing as how we started three new courses, I just found out my mom is in Texas so I have to take care of "the family," and I still have the rest of my family to take care of. *faints from exhaustion* Oh well, I'm sure no one has a burning desire to hear about this kind of tedious stuff. ^__~  
  
As always, I must take a moment to tell my reviewers how absolutely fabulous they are. I really would take the time to thank everyone one at a time, but that'd be a giant chapter all in itself! *giggles* I've had some troubles with email (for instance, Arwen's email keeps telling me that it doesn't exist -__-;;), but I really am trying to find time to respond to the ones I get. You're all wonderful, and you have no idea of how much I absolutely adore you. *hugs and loves from the evil puppy* Enjoy, minna!  
  
  
  
Turnabout is Fair Play: Under the Black Moon.  
  
  
  
'Oh gods, I didn't.'  
  
'Had I known it would take such an abysmally long period of time for Inuyasha's soul to ease his barriers around you, Kagome-chan, I would have elected to bring you the same night I brought that idiot hanyou to me.'  
  
'I fell asleep,' Kagome muttered in disbelief, covering her eyes with a hand and fighting the urge to smack herself in the head. 'How in the hell did I fall asleep? The sun just went down!'  
  
'I was forced to wait for the moment Inuyasha's waning blood began to transfer into you before I was able to connect with your soul and bring you to me.'  
  
She frowned, pulling her hand away from her face to look around in confusion. The voice was close this time, much stronger than it had been in the past, and while that wasn't overly surprising, this time she could tell it belonged to a man. Not Onigumo, but still. familiar. 'Who are you?'  
  
'That is not of any importance at the moment,' he scolded, just the barest hint of affection leaking into the low tones.  
  
'Is it too much to ask that just once the lot of you let me decide that?' Kagome sat down, folding her arms over her chest in frustration. 'I am getting pretty damn tired of hearing that excuse.'  
  
'I ask that you only be patient a while longer, little miko.'  
  
'I'll bet,' she snorted, muttering under her breath before lifting her head and trying to track this new voice in the indistinct gray haze of the dreamscape. 'What do you want now? And what do you mean you had to wait? I've slept... almost regularly lately.'  
  
'You have been asleep often enough, however, each time any effort was made to draw in your soul, Inuyasha's aura attacked. Mostly violently too,' he sighed in irritation. 'We believe it has to do with the measures he has taken to hold you to him, in addition to your present state. He wants nothing getting close to you.'  
  
Kagome propped her chin up in her upraised hand and frowned, 'The measures he took? You mean this thing on my neck?'  
  
'I feel no need to hide how shocked I am that Inuyasha recalled the binding spell he used on you. Not only is it remarkably old, but the only time it was ever demonstrated to him, he was a very young pup.'  
  
Kagome's hand lifted to her throat self-consciously, and she couldn't prevent the faint growl in her voice when she responded, 'What does this thing have to do with you bringing me here? Wait.' her eyes darkened with sudden understanding as a thought occurred to her. 'It was you.'  
  
'What was?'  
  
Kagome rose to her feet, turning to scowl in the voice's last direction, 'You're the one; the one who told Inuyasha you could disconnect us. The owner of the spell. You're the one who told him you could turn me back into a human and reverse everything.'  
  
'I am, and I did.'  
  
Her hands clenched into fists at her sides and she tried to fight back the rush of anger that went through her, 'You bastard. Did it ever occur to you that I might prefer things this way? Or is the state of my own body and soul something else that "is not important at the moment," hn?'  
  
There was a rather exasperated sigh from behind her right before one of the bizarre disembodied hands she'd become accustomed to in these dreamscapes came down on her shoulder and firmly returned her to a sitting position. 'Kagome-chan, the more important question is not whether or not it occurred to me that you may prefer life as a youkai. That answer I have always known. The question is whether or not it ever occurred to Inuyasha.'  
  
Her anger subsided slightly under a sudden rise of confusion, 'What?'  
  
'Did your hanyou ever stop to think on just how remarkable your transformation truly was?' he clarified. 'Or did he take it for granted?'  
  
Kagome shook her head, looking up and stiffening when she saw the faintest glow of white eyes above her, her indignant tone changing to a more uncertain stammer, 'I. I don't understand. what you're asking.'  
  
'In all of my dealings with Inuyasha, he has shown a rather remarkable talent for ignoring anything that does not immediately involve him,' he snorted in mild disgust. 'He is not overly concerned with the "how" of circumstances turning in his favor so long as the are proven to undeniably be in his favor. I believe his first reaction to his ability to subdue you is a perfect example. If I am not mistaken, he did not care how he was able to do so.'  
  
'Just that he could,' Kagome looked away from those disturbingly piercing eyes as she murmured distractedly in answer to the unspoken demand for verification.  
  
'Precisely. Inuyasha is still young and like any youth, he does not always take the time to think through a situation. He was aware only that you had changed into a youkai, freeing him from concerns he would have been forced to face when you mated him had you remained human. I doubt he even realizes that is the reason a large part of his insecurities where you are concerned have disappeared.'  
  
'I'm still not quite understanding. What does that have to do with disconnecting us?' she pressed her hands to the sides of her aching head. 'The first voices told me that it would have killed me to try and change me back and you told Inuyasha that it could be done?'  
  
'Attempting to revert you to a human state would indeed have killed you, Kagome-chan.'  
  
Kagome went still and very slowly sat up straight, her brow furrowing in confusion and more than a little dawning suspicion, 'It would have killed me?'  
  
'There is very little human blood left inside your body, and despite what I told Inuyasha, it would be impossible to find a way to replace that even if another human was used to transfuse you. Especially since what human blood is left has been repeatedly filtered through the youkai blood and bonded together to protect it. Your body has held youkai blood within it for an extended period of time, twisting it with your magic to make it your own, and your body has changed to accommodate it.'  
  
'Then you. you lied!' she jerked away from the restraining hand to hiss out accusingly, shooting to her feet in alarm. 'You lied to Inuyasha! You never intended to disconnect us at all!'  
  
'That is an accurate statement,' she could hear the shrug in his voice.  
  
Kagome gaped, for a long moment her mouth working soundlessly to vocalize the sudden chaotic jumble her thoughts had become. Finally, she put a hand to her head, feeling dizzy and managed to murmur a shocked, 'Why?!'  
  
'I took advantage of the chance to finally settle my own guilt and curiosity in the matter of your transformation.'  
  
'Your.guilt.?' Kagome repeated numbly, sitting rather abruptly when her knees simply refused to support her any longer.  
  
'I have never been certain if you would have chosen a different path for yourself if given the chance, Kagome-chan. I was also never aware of what circumstances led up to your alteration, not in the ways that I am now. I have never understood how the mind of a miko youkai works.'  
  
Kagome was again staring up at the "eyes" watching her with unblinking intensity, her hands shaking as she lowered them to her lap, 'Given the chance? You lied to Inuyasha just to see if I would have tried to become human again?'  
  
'You were changed by the unexpected error of two amateur casters,' he explained, eyes narrowing slightly in remembered exasperation. 'Part of the blame, however, is mine, as the spell does indeed belong to me, and my inattention regarding its use in inexcusable.'  
  
Kagome was starting to wonder if it was possible to faint when one was dreaming, trying again for some better clarification, 'You just decided to say that you could reverse the spell to see what we would do?'  
  
'I lied to see what Inuyasha's reaction would be,' he admitted calmly. 'I have no doubts that if circumstances were reversed, you would have cared for that hanyou regardless of the form he selected. However, I was never certain if he would have been selfless enough to give you the same courtesy once you had been youkai for him.'  
  
'You thought he wouldn't tell me about disconnecting,' Kagome's brows drew together in anger on Inuyasha's behalf. 'He may be a bit selfish most of the time, but he would never do such a thing!'  
  
'I do not have the faith in his integrity where you are concerned that you do,' the hand was back on her shoulder, strangely calming when she wanted nothing more than to snarl and attack the faceless man defaming her mate. 'Inuyasha has proven time and again that he will go to great lengths to keep you beside him, and I regret to say that I do not completely understand every intricacy of this spell. There may have been a possibility for you to be restored due to your association with the Shikon- no-Tama, but if that is so, the time has long since passed.'  
  
Her mouth worked soundlessly before she managed, 'Do... do you know when?'  
  
There was a moment of silence before the voice came almost mockingly at her ear, 'I thought you liked yourself better this way.'  
  
Kagome felt the blood rush to her cheeks at the taunt, hissing out, 'I DO! But I can't help but be curious if you know when I was too changed to go back!'  
  
There was a low chuckle before she sensed the presence lower itself behind her, 'You told me once... a long, long time ago that you once woke in a great deal of pain. You told me it came from the mark.'  
  
She jumped when she felt the hand graze her side, clamping her hand down over the tattoo, 'I told you?!'  
  
'Did this or did this not happen?'  
  
'Well, yes... I did wake up like that once-'  
  
'The blood changed hue, correct?'  
  
'Hai-'  
  
'That was when Inuyasha's blood settled itself inside you too deeply to be removed.'  
  
Her eyes widened, 'Then? That long ago?'  
  
'I told Inuyasha that I had never seen blood as possessive as his,' the hand was on her shoulder, comforting her again and soothing her control over her emotions. 'The hanyou was using that ridiculous word spell so frequently that his blood awakened within you before those two idiots suspected. They believed they teased your instincts into letting them into your soul, when it was his instincts reflected through you. That was why it was so easy for them to encourage that rage, yet infinitely more dangerous when it broke free.'  
  
Kagome shook her head, her eyes unfocused as she tried to process the information she'd wanted from the start, finally being revealed so long after it had already occurred, 'Inuyasha was already inside me.'  
  
'His instincts were newly awakened, and once they became aware of their surroundings, they became violent. Especially when they sensed you were not claimed and there was another male presence inside your mind.'  
  
She winced, then gasped and reached up to feel her head when she felt the unmistakable feeling of ears flattening back, 'Damn... We did swap again...'  
  
The voice was chuckling quietly, but continued with his explanation when she made a sound of impatient encouragement, 'When the "voices" encouraged you to give in to your instincts, they actually talked you through reaching inside yourself and breaking the seal that held Inuyasha's blood separate from your own. Inuyasha was already angry at seeing you attacked and his instincts are more... passionate about fighting with everything at their disposal. His blood worked through you and awoke the power it felt in your soul.'  
  
Kagome tried to turn back to look at "him" only to have two hands gently but firmly keep her facing away. She wrinkled her nose and huffed in annoyance, but obediently stayed put, 'That's why my miko magic started working better than it has before.'  
  
'Indeed. But to accomplish its proficient use, he matured your blood over a hundred years in a matter of mere weeks, Kagome-chan. It's no wonder you were rather... unbalanced while the rest of you attempted to catch up and adjust to the necessary acceleration.'  
  
'A... a hundred years?!'  
  
'I believe, at this point in time, your kit is as old as you were in human years.'  
  
'Shippou-chan?!' she gaped in amazement, her mind having a hard time adjusting to hearing the kit she had by all rights adopted was the same age as she was.  
  
'Youkai age just a little differently than humans do, and Inuyasha's blood is strong enough that he ages as a youkai. It is not always such for hanyou children,' he added, forestalling her next question before he could ask.  
  
She wrinkled her nose, 'He's old enough to be my grandfather, isn't he?'  
  
This time the laughter was quick to come and openly amused, 'In time you will learn that youkai view aging differently as well. It does not have the constriction that humans place on it in their shortened life spans.'  
  
'Considering he asks like a junior high student himself most of the time... or at least he used to.'  
  
'That was not nearly as entertaining an insult until humans made their schools and I was able to make the comparison for myself.'  
  
Kagome blinked, frowning again as her curiosity peaked, 'Who are you?'  
  
'I have not answered that question, nor do I intend to,' he scolded. 'Asking it repeatedly only takes more time than we are able to spare.'  
  
The frown changed to one of confusion, 'What do you mean? None of the other voices were ever concerned with time limits.'  
  
'The path that was opened to your soul is healing closed every time Inuyasha's blood makes a full exchange with your own,' the disembodied hand moved out in front of her face to gesture around the dreamscape. 'Now that his soul is aware of what is causing your distress and distortion, it is taking the time inside you to force it closed. You would not notice, but already the space has decreased considerably. By the next new moon, the path will have healed completely.'  
  
'It... it will?' Kagome lifted a hand absently to her heart.  
  
'Aa.'  
  
'What... will that do?' she chewed on her lip nervously, fidgeting as she waited for the answer.  
  
'You enjoy that talent for sucking the youki out of those around you a bit too much,' a deep sigh, and then he reluctantly admitted. 'Unfortunately, that seems to be one of the side effects of the spell's distortion. Closing the path will decrease the wildness of that talent; help to prevent that obnoxious propensity for completely losing yourself to the basic instincts of your chosen opponent, however, the ability will still be present in your soul to a degree.'  
  
'Where were you in the beginning when I needed to hear all this?' Kagome sighed wearily, rubbing her eyes against the ache started just behind her temples. 'You could have made everything so much easier.'  
  
'I was completely unaware that my spell had been stolen, Kagome-chan,' he responded with just the faintest hint of apology in that low, smooth tone. 'Had those fools come directly to me, we may have been able to stop some of that distortion if not all of it. Then again, perhaps not, Fate has already played its hand after all.'  
  
Kagome made a slight sound of frustrated impatience, tucking her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them, 'Are you always this infuriating?'  
  
'I have had numerous centuries to perfect my skills.'  
  
That dry comment was almost enough to bring a smile to her lips, 'Was it so important? To cause this mess with Inuyasha thinking he had to disconnect us? Was it worth the problems that you caused just by suggesting it was possible to change me back?'  
  
'I had an opportunity to be certain of his devotion, and that is more important than a minor inconvenience to both of you. Otherwise neither of you would have been aware that Inuyasha was willing to set you free if you so desired.'  
  
'If it was ever really an option.'  
  
'That too,' he acknowledged. 'But would you have rather been plagued with the doubt for the rest of your existence? I lied as much for your protection and peace of mind as for my own curiosity. I put an end to the question before it ever had a chance to possibly become an issue between you.'  
  
'At least you aren't pretending it was purely altruistic,' she muttered, resting her chin on her hands.  
  
'It is rare that I speak anything less that truth, and if I do lie, it always has purpose. Remember that.'  
  
Kagome snorted, 'I highly doubt that I'm going to be forgetting weird youkai men taking me to in-between realms to lecture me.'  
  
'It is comforting to hear that your mind suffered no permanent damage at being born human,' he didn't even bother to disguise the amusement in his voice this time.  
  
'You're enjoying this far too much for my peace of mind,' she bristled as she felt the blush rise in her cheeks.  
  
'I am feeling remarkably well with the outcome of my deception,' a hand stroked down her hair, again soothing her ruffled instincts. 'Your hanyou is worried since you don't wake, however, you may wish to inform him that you will be experiencing more lethargic periods given your condition and the closing of the spell.'  
  
'My condition? Inuyasha was hovering and telling me what I could eat... I really am sick?' she looked faintly worried at the possibility.  
  
'You will recover with ease, I believe; there is no reason for you to be concerned, and I have said all I intend to say at this time.'  
  
'And of course, you're the one making the rules,' Kagome rolled her eyes, completely and totally frustrated at that vague answer.  
  
'Your capacity for understanding a situation is the main reason I prefer to deal with you over Inuyasha at your current ages,' there was a faint smile in the voice, taunting her blatant sarcasm.  
  
'Remind me to kick you in the shin when I figure out who you are,' she muttered, folding her arms over her chest.  
  
'Luckily, Kagome-chan, your hanyou is aware of the need to curb your untrained blood's propensity for violence. The next time we meet, I expect you to have this urge more or less under control.'  
  
'I'm cursed, aren't I?' she wearily rubbed her hand over her eyes. 'My entire life is going to be filled with arrogant youkai men who all think they know what's better for me than I do.'  
  
'If it will settle your mind, you will love us soon enough.'  
  
'That's not encouraging.'  
  
'You will feel differently.'  
  
'Neither is that.'  
  
The voice chuckled quietly at the almost pout in her tone, again sliding one of the disembodied hands through her hair, 'You are in good hands, Kagome-chan, trust in your "family" here where you belong.'  
  
She wrinkled her nose in annoyance, but rather than pull away, she simply resumed her position with her knees drawn to her chest and her chin resting on her folded arms. Her thoughts were starting to turn sluggish, and that was giving her a pretty good idea that her "time-limit" with this voice had just about expired, 'I have this horrible sense that the moment I wake up, I'm going to think of a hundred other things that I should have asked you.'  
  
'The only areas you need to be concerned with have been addressed,' the voice sounded just casual enough to make her grind her teeth together against a frustrated retort. 'Any other answers will come to you with time, provided you do not kill your hanyou before he comes into his own and grows up.'  
  
Kagome felt her cheeks heat slightly at the amusement and mild censure in his voice, 'I would never hurt him intentionally.'  
  
'Indeed.'  
  
Her cheeks darkened more and she ducked her head guiltily, 'Not seriously anyway.'  
  
There was yet another low chuckle from behind her and she went perfectly still when she felt him lean forward, brushing a light kiss to her cheek, 'I have every confidence that you will be exactly what your hanyou needs.'  
  
***  
  
Kagome came awake with a start, clenching her eyes shut with a startle yelp when the sudden brightness assaulted her and burrowing into the warmth at her back, "I am going to start banging my head against the wall if I wake up like that one more time."  
  
When the pressure around her tightened, her mind actually connected that solid warmth with its owner just before Inuyasha's concerned voice penetrated her slight daze, "Kagome, are you all right?"  
  
"The sun set and you just...well, dropped!" Shippou tugged urgently at her arm before clambering up into her lap and squeezing into between their bodies to snuggle against her stomach.  
  
Kagome was absently stroking the little kit's head even as she started to slowly open her eyes and growl out, "Irritating, goddamn, pompous bastard."  
  
Sango blinked while the confused concern on Miroku's face melted into one of understanding, "Ah, you had a 'visit,' did you not, Kagome-sama?"  
  
Inuyasha tensed when Kagome grunted and started to lift herself of him slightly, "The fucking voice? Which one was it? What the hell did it say to you?!"  
  
Kagome winced slightly, feeling her ears immediately flatten in protest to the agitated demands, "Mou, not so loud! I don't get it... the only time I ever feel like I'm going deaf is when you spill over into me."  
  
"My ears are better," he shrugged absently, not wanting to get into a long, drawn-out discussion over something trivial when he had much more burning questions he needed answered. He should have known it was too good to hope that bastard youkai would leave Kagome out of it when he'd taken such delight telling Inuyasha he would bring her by force. His only consolation was the time-limit the youkai had put on being able to disconnect them was long since past, and Kagome had more than adequately assured him of her desire to keep the spells the same.  
  
She finally felt safe to open her eyes, glaring at him for the casual arrogance in that remark when her retort died on a wave of curiosity, "The hell-?!"  
  
Inuyasha's frustrated anger was momentarily curbed, lips twitching in amusement, "I forgot how easily you swear when you're me."  
  
Kagome just shook her head, twisting around to straddle his hips and grabbing onto his face to twist it from side to side. She frowned at the pointed ears before looking back at the azure eyes that had first caught her attention, "You don't look human... Why don't you look human, Inuyasha?"  
  
He made a noise of impatience and thunked her on the head before grabbing a handful of her hair and dragging it up for her to see the drastically lightened strands, "Baka. We swapped again, but this time it swapped all the way. Or at least most of the way."  
  
She shrieked and nearly went toppling over backwards, saved only by Inuyasha grabbing onto his waist as her hands flew to her head, "My hair!!"  
  
"Dammit, bitch, be careful!" he snarled at her.  
  
"My hair's white, Inuyasha, this didn't happen last time!" Kagome let go of her own hair and grabbed onto his, yanking him forward.  
  
"Oi-!"  
  
"Fix it!"  
  
Inuyasha blinked while his mind processed the perfectly irrational demand, and then gave her a dry look, "While it is rather flattering to know that you think so highly of my skills, koi, I don't have control of the moon just yet."  
  
Kagome leaned back, suddenly realizing just how idiotic that last demand had sounded and turning bright scarlet. She averted her face and folded her arms, growling when she heard the attempts to muffle snickering from her friends and the kit in her lap, "I hate you sometimes."  
  
He started to chuckle as well, sliding his hands up through her hair in a soothing motion, "I'm aware of that."  
  
She muttered a few choice words under her breath before getting her embarrassment under control and snuck a glance back at him, "I. don't look weird?"  
  
Inuyasha made a show of giving her a thorough once over, sliding one hand out of her hair to cup her cheek and give her a kiss on the forehead, "You don't look weird." Although he was suddenly hoping at least one of his pups was going to be female, delighted at the thought of having such a perfect mix of himself and Kagome instead of just his blood echoed through her. 'Then again,' he tilted his head when she gave him a dazzling smile, 'I'm not sure I could handle that... Too many youkai would chase her.'  
  
Kagome glared at Miroku when he opened his mouth, some ingrained feminine instinct warning her that whatever he was about to say wasn't going to be as innocent as his expression, "Don't even think it, bouzu."  
  
Miroku's brows shot up and he blinked several times at just how very "Inuyasha" that response had been before murmuring, "Was the transformation more complete this time?"  
  
Inuyasha's lips were twitching suspiciously while Kagome gasped and clamped her hand over her mouth in surprise. He nuzzled his face against the side of her neck, smirking when her cheeks heated, "Bouzu, hn?"  
  
The casual action had Sango leaning forward from her kneeling position and murmuring her own absent observation, "It must have. Inuyasha's being even more openly affectionate than he's ever been."  
  
Miroku sat back and sighed with only slightly exaggerated envy, yet again observing, "Fate is indeed cruel." 


	60. Easier the First Time

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
A/N: *rubs head and looks embarrassed* Mou. sorry about that taking so long, minna! Yet again, life was in the way of my fun (i.e. my writing). School, Hazard, etc. *giggles* At any rate, you guys are absolutely 100% fantastic, and I adore each and every one of you. Don't worry, it IS winding down, but I will make sure you're certain of when it's over. You've all been so wonderful that I wouldn't dare leave this unfinished.  
  
On a different note, I got a few more emails from people concerned about behavior patterns. *sighs* So I'll do this again. First off, it's fiction. None of the ideas expressed are meant to be taken in real life context, so if you're overly concerned about how "dominant" Inuyasha is behaving, keep in mind it's for the story. One the other hand, for the more "time-line correct" information, I'm a history buff and I've done papers on behavioral patterns of ancient and not so ancient civilizations. the behavior was much MUCH different then, and I mixed it with liberally with canine behavior (something I also studied out of necessity). I apologize if you find it inappropriate, but *shrugs* that's how the story came out on paper.  
  
Also for everyone who's trying to access the website, it HAS moved. all of the more adult themed chapters (for those readers who are of age) can be found at www.iridescent-dreams.net  
  
If I've missed anything, feel free to drop me a line and let me know. Sorry again for the massive notes, so I'll cut this off and leave you to the LOOOONG overdue update. Again, I absolutely adore you all. You're the greatest readers in the world and you really are the reason this story has become what it has. You're wonderful. ^___~  
  
~Turnabout is Fair Play: Easier the First Time.~  
  
"For the absolute last time, Kagome, no."  
  
"Just once? I promise I won't hurt you this time."  
  
"Of course you won't, cause you're not fucking doing that again!"  
  
Shippou snickered when Kagome made her eyes as big and liquid as she possibly could and threw in an applaudable pout before whining, "Pleeeease?"  
  
Inuyasha looked remarkably put out before averting his face in a hurry and folding his arms over his chest, "No."  
  
"I'll be your best friend," she added in a singsong voice.  
  
"Bitch, you already are," he snorted and gave her a good scowl as best he could while still refusing to look directly at her. "There is no way in hell I'm getting on your back OR letting you carry me. I don't care how much blood switched over, it's not happening," he enunciated the last three words deliberately.  
  
"But I'm strong enough!" Kagome pointed out. "You said we could talk!"  
  
"I said talk, I didn't say anything about letting you experiment," he finally turned back to give her the full weight of his disapproval. "Especially with what happened last time."  
  
She blushed slightly but lifted her chin in a defensive motion, "I'm sure I'll be better at it this time."  
  
"You fell," he shook his head and then corrected. "Actually, that's being too nice, you sent us both slamming into the ground from a pretty good height." And now you're carrying my pups. "Absolutely not, Kagome," he reiterated again.  
  
She stuck her tongue out at him, folding her arms over her chest before she started to drop to the ground, "You're no fun."  
  
Inuyasha's hands snapped out, catching her under the arms before she completed the potentially jarring motion. Ignoring her confused look, he covered the reason for that by lifting her up against his chest, "You wanted to talk in private. Kaede-babaa's hut is hardly the place for it, even if Sango's off bathing and Miroku's trying to get himself maimed."  
  
"Oi! You can't leave me by myself!" Shippou hopped to his feet from where he'd been sprawled out on Kagome's unrolled sleeping bag, lazily watching Inuyasha trying to resist Kagome's "cute face."  
  
Inuyasha frowned in exasperation at the little kit tugging at his leg insistently, "This is one of those adult conversations, runt. Besides, the old hag's around somewhere and she'll be back soon enough to keep an eye on you."  
  
Kagome blushed at the insinuation, but Shippou looked at him disbelievingly, "Is that all you think about? You were doing that for two weeks. Aren't you tired of it yet?"  
  
Inuyasha could feel Kagome's shoulders starting to shake as she buried her face against his throat, trying her hardest not to laugh at the little kitsune. Inuyasha, however, was grinning broadly as he balanced her with one arm to crouch and pat Shippou on the head, "I think you'll have to wait until you're old enough to mate before you understand, runt."  
  
Shippou gave him a dry glare, "That's such a bullshit answer."  
  
"And it's all you get," he ruffled the kit's hair and rose back to his feet, resituating Kagome more securely in his arms. "Keep an eye on things for me here, Shippou. Kagome and I do need to have a serious talk about what that sonofabitch said to her."  
  
Shippou looked torn between pride that Inuyasha would assign him something so important and irritation that he couldn't go too. He finally sighed and turned his back, folding his arms over his chest, "You'd better be back by the time I wake up."  
  
Inuyasha's lips twitched in amusement, but he nodded, "We'll be back after the sun rises."  
  
Before the kitsune could make a rejoinder to that, the hanyou had turned and left the hut, tightening his hold on Kagome enough that she looked up in slight confusion, "Inuyasha?"  
  
"Let's see what you can do," he smirked, the muscles in his legs bunching as he sprang forward towards the woods.  
  
"That's not fair!" Kagome gasped out sharply, tangling her hands in his sleeves and glaring up at him in supreme annoyance. "Why can you see what you can do with my blood and I can't play with yours?"  
  
"Because I'm your mate and I'm the male," he responded with distracted arrogance, the matter-of-fact tone revealing just how deeply ingrained that annoying instinct was. 'Besides, I'm not the one breeding, and this is the perfect way for me to test out just what your limits are, bitch.'  
  
"You're an ass."  
  
"That may be, but I'm an ass with a mate whose healthy, strong, and staying that way," he chided, giving her an affectionate squeeze before frowning in concentration as he meticulously tested her speed and endurance. Smirking in satisfaction at feeling her blood respond, not nearly as fast or strong as his own blood, but still impressive and more than enough for his chest to puff out proudly. When he was certain he'd adequately tested that physical side of the blood, he moved his focus deeper to check her senses, 'What other youkai has the chance to know first hand what their bitch is capable of? And even if I can't feel her the right way, I'll still know if she's pushing herself too hard.'  
  
Kagome snorted, reaching up to yank on his hair when she sensed his attention wandering away from her, "Inuyasha, it's hardly entirely up to you whether I'm healthy or not."  
  
He glanced down at her, jumping up into the nearest tree and coming to a halt, "Of course it is."  
  
She rolled her eyes and squirmed to be set down, "Whatever. I'm letting this slide for now, because I'm not in the mood to argue with you over this tonight. We have better things to talk about."  
  
Inuyasha's brows rose at that, his complete attention returning to her once he was fully satisfied and certain he knew her blood's abilities inside and out, "Better things? That's not exactly the feeling I get after those fuck-ups have been having fun racing around in your head."  
  
"Don't get me wrong, Inuyasha, I still intend to beat the shit out of whoever it is, but. well, this time it was different," she chewed on her lip, her ears flattening back in her uncertainty over how to vocalize it.  
  
"It was that cocky fucking bastard, wasn't it? The one who'll let you feel part of him?" he made a frustrated sound in the back of his throat, dropping down to sit with his back against the trunk before sitting her carefully in his lap facing him. His hands flexed on her waist, stroking lightly as his eyes searched hers for any anger, "What. did he say?"  
  
Kagome squirmed a little to settle herself comfortably, wrapping her legs around his waist and taking a deep breath to try and prepare for the hanyou's potential reaction, "Try to stay calm, Inuyasha. you're, ah. probably not going to be happy."  
  
Inuyasha's eyes widened fractionally, his hands looping around her and clasping his hands at the small of her back to make sure she was tight against him before he repeated with slow deliberation, "What did he say to you, Kagome?" 'Dear gods, don't let there still be something he can still do about the connection! We fucking fixed it and she's mine! He said there was a time limit and it's long since past.'  
  
She reached up and started stroking her hands through his hair soothingly, a low rumbling purr starting in her chest in a further effort to calm him, "He wanted to talk to me about you. And about the spell."  
  
"About me?" his brows lowered in confusion.  
  
Kagome squeezed her eyes shut and hurried out before she could think too much about his possible reaction, "He lied about the spell."  
  
There was a very long, very thick moment of silence while Kagome could feel the slow tightening of Inuyasha's muscles everywhere they touched, and his heartbeat gaining speed long before he finally gritted out, "What?"  
  
Her ears flattened again and she shifted forward to hide her face against his throat, wrapping her arms around his neck and trying to soothe his twitching back, "We haven't been able to be disconnected for a long time, Inuyasha. He told me that if they tried, it would have killed me. He never intended to even attempt it."  
  
Inuyasha's arms wrapped around her, flattening her up against his chest as he struggled back and forth between an unimaginable wave of relief that she never would have been taken away and a sweeping sense of rage that he'd been made to think she would be, "He lied. He fucking lied?! Is this a goddamn game to them? What the fuck was he thinking?!"  
  
Kagome felt a helpless smile teasing her lips as Inuyasha continued to fume and ramble, but at the same time held her tucked up into him gently and was alternately stroking her hair, her back, and along her thighs. It was a moment that was just so singularly Inuyasha; the gruff, angry frustration clear in everything he said and the way he held his body, but contradicting that with protective and sweet in the way he touched her as he voiced his temper.  
  
She sighed and pressed her palms flat to his chest to lever herself up and stop the angry muttering by closing her mouth over his. Kagome could practically taste his surprise, but the sudden stiffness melted instantly as he pulled her close and turned his head to take full advantage of the impromptu kiss.  
  
When she finally drew back, she murmured against his mouth, "I'm angry too. but would you rather it have been true?"  
  
Inuyasha sighed, giving her another quick kiss before he admitted, "No, but still-!"  
  
Kagome giggled, pressing a finger to his lips and sitting back to look into those azure eyes, her eyes reflected in him during the swap, "Do you want to know what else he had to say?"  
  
He huffed and nipped at her finger, "Am I going to get pissed off?"  
  
"Highly possible," she chewed on her lip and admitted reluctantly.  
  
Inuyasha reached up and lightly touched her lip to urge her away from doing even minor damage to herself and flashing her an arrogant grin, "Are you going to distract me the same way if I do?"  
  
Kagome blinked and couldn't help but laugh, smacking him in the chest and shaking her head, "Mou. Shippou's right, you don't think about anything else but sex. Is that why you were always so grumpy before?"  
  
He shrugged and leaned back against the tree, his eyes roaming over her face leisurely, "I wasn't grumpy. It hasn't even been a month since we mated, and especially with everything that's happened, I think I should be allowed to be thinking about what it feels like to be inside you."  
  
Her cheeks turned pink, and this time her ears flattened back for an entirely different reason as she scolded half-heartedly, "Inuyasha."  
  
Inuyasha chuckled, feeling supremely proud of himself when he caught the shift in her scent and much more relaxed as he urged, "What else did that asshole say? Why did he lie about the spell like that?"  
  
She made a face, "He said he was testing you."  
  
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha grumbled sourly.  
  
Kagome sighed, fidgeting with the strands of his hair that had fallen over his shoulder to pool in his lap, "It was confusing... He said that he knew how I felt, that I preferred being like this, but he was never sure about you, if you cared whether I wanted to be this way or not. He thought you would take it for granted if he didn't make you think it could go back to what it was like before."  
  
Inuyasha wasn't looking particularly happy with explanation, his eyes showing the offense he felt while he set his jaw and tried not to let it carry into his expression, "Anything else?"  
  
She lifted a hand to stroke his cheek, a low rumble starting in her chest as she instinctively sought to soothe him, "Inuyasha, he even had questions. He said that he did it to settle his mind about if I would have become human again."  
  
"You just said he knew you preferred being a youkai," he pointed out in confusion.  
  
Kagome shrugged, "Preferring it and living it are different. Everything. everything has to be different now."  
  
When her ears flattened back and her voice filled with that uncertain, almost "little girl" quality, Inuyasha pushed aside his agitation with the youkai to reach out and pull her down against his chest. He tucked her head under his chin, folding his legs around her, and stroking her hair, "Oi. You don't have to worry about that, Kagome. It's different, but I'll be right here the whole time." We'll take care of you. the pups and me. It won't be a bad life, Kagome; we'll be a family.  
  
Kagome closed her eyes, inhaling deeply, but making a face at the scent that was off under the moon's influence, That's the only bad thing about this damn swapping. I can't smell him the way I want to. She pushed that thought out of her mind, wrapping her arms around his neck and letting him calm her doubts, "He didn't think you'd tell me about what he'd said. His excuse was that he 'handled' the question before it had a chance to turn into an issue. well, that and satisfying his own curiosity."  
  
Inuyasha blinked, his hands pausing on her as what she'd just said actually clicked, Before it became. Good gods, he was right. As much as it galled him to admit it, even in his own mind, that soft remark had sent his imagination off on a wild run with what could have happened. They were both sure now, knowing that the spells were just how they wanted, but would either of them had stopped to think it over without the interference?  
  
He looked down at her and couldn't prevent the slight smile, Okay, so maybe Kagome hasn't settled in to barrier spell, but she'll understand once she gets over thinking I just did it to annoy her. She didn't hear what Naraku said to me when he had her mind.  
  
Kagome cuddled closer, and he lifted her slightly, helping her fit her body snugly against him, Would it have hurt us? In the future? He slid his hands down he sides, discreetly squeezing when he reached her stomach and nearly jolting when that action sent the faintest glimmer of an impression in the back of his mind. Something amused.  
  
"Kagome, did you-?" he started, only to cut himself off when her confused gaze lifted to him. It wasn't her emotion. but that means.  
  
Kagome blinked and slid her hands into his hair in what she hoped was a comforting manner when his hands tightened on her waist, his eyes filled with something she couldn't quite place, "I'm okay, Inuyasha, really. It's a lot to take in and, well, it hasn't even been two months, but I'm not sorry it happened."  
  
He swallowed hard and nodded, sliding his arms around her and hauling her back up against his chest in an odd mix of force and care, I just felt my fucking pups. "I forget sometimes that it's happened so fast," he covered the shock that had sent warmth coursing through his entire soul, keeping her face against his throat to keep her from seeing the way his eyes had gone so impossibly soft.  
  
"Would it cheer you up if I told you we've been connected since that day I first blew up at those youkai?" her ears perked against his chin, the soft fur tickling his skin.  
  
Inuyasha's brows shot up, his attention divided between searching for the impressions again and finding out just what Kagome meant, "What?"  
  
She leaned back to look at his face, giving a faint growl and a nip when it seemed like he would try to keep her from sitting up. She wrinkled her nose and pressed her palm flat over his heart before she expounded on her earlier answer, "You were already in me. That's what the voice forgot to look for that first time they got inside my head to fight. It wasn't me they pissed off and got out of control, it was your blood already in me."  
  
Inuyasha's eyes searched hers, his surprise and even confusion clearly displayed as he murmured out, "That long ago.? Wait, what do you mean it was my blood?"  
  
"Apparently you have more resourceful blood than I do," she reached up and yanked on his pointed ear. "And it wasn't happy being inside me when it couldn't sense a 'claim,' but it could feel other males in my mind," she stuck her tongue out at him.  
  
He couldn't even begin to describe his relief at hearing what -to him, was a perfectly logical explanation for what had until now had always concerned him as a more sinister circumstance. The youkai had told him that he had possessive blood; hell, he didn't bother to deny that, but this new snippet of information was remarkably good news, "You were always mine, Kagome, and you know how stubborn I am."  
  
Kagome made a noncommittal grunt of agreement before her lips twitched and she averted her profile to hide the wicked grin, "Must be a draw-back of old age, Inuyasha-jiji."  
  
"What the fuck did you just call me?!" his spine straightened as though someone has just run a steel pole through it, baring smaller fangs instinctively as his eyes blazed.  
  
She couldn't help but snicker, "I got a crash course in youkai aging. and the shock of my life at hearing what your blood did to mine to 'catch up.'" She couldn't resist lifting a hand to hide her mouth and muttering under her breath "cradle-robber."  
  
Inuyasha's eyebrow started to twitch, "You disrespectful bitch. I ought to turn you over my knee until you-"  
  
Kagome cut of his growling a second time, leaning up and brushing her lips across his, It worked once, after all. And by the way he relaxed into her, his hands again moving over her in long, slow strokes, she was feeling particularly smug when she moved back to give him a sultry smirk, "You have to be nice until I get better. That means no spanking."  
  
That comment distracted him from the first response that sprang to mind, instead sending a shiver of renewed fear through his stomach as he demanded, "Get better? Bitch, when the fuck did you get sick?!"  
  
Now she looked confused, her head tilting to one side as her ears perked in a way he found impossibly adorable, "You already know, don't you? The youkai said I would be sleeping more now that the spell's closing off and he said with my 'condition.' That's why you've been so bitchy about what I'm eating, isn't it?"  
  
"The spell's closing off?" his eyes brightened even as his mind worked furiously to figure out how to keep her from getting suspicious. Why the youkai had kept her pregnancy secret when he seemed to take great delight in revealing everything else was completely beyond him, however, he couldn't say he was complaining. He was still trying to figure out the best way to inform Kagome before she realized where the fluttering impressions were coming from. or the more physical indications, he thought with a quick glance at her breasts.  
  
"Your blood didn't like that being wide open," she reached up to tug on her own ear with an annoyed expression. "He said the other time we swapped it started to close, but this time it knows what to look for. None of the voices will be able to get back in after the next new moon."  
  
"It's about fucking time," he gently took her hand away when she yanked and rubbed the abused appendage with expert strokes. "What about your little leech impression? That's going away too, right?"  
  
Kagome fidgeted slightly, "Not. exactly."  
  
One eyebrow quirked up in suppressed annoyance, "Kagome."  
  
"It won't be as bad though," she had no idea why she felt the sudden need to reassure him, but it was there all the same. "And it's not like you intend to let me out of this thing. I don't lose control the same way," she made a face that clearly displayed her annoyance, but ducked her head to keep him from seeing the way the corners of her lips kicked up.  
  
She wouldn't admit it to him out loud if her life depended on it just yet, but she had come up with a plan. Actually, she couldn't really take all the credit; it had more or less just popped in there when her head had finally cleared after that embarrassing week of attacking Inuyasha. But it had still been more than enough to soothe her ruffled instincts. Now she simply had to bide her time for the perfect opportunity, Don't get rid of it yet, Inuyasha. Not until I'm done with it.  
  
"Damn right," Inuyasha was muttering, lifting his finger to trace over the red line. "I'm not risking you getting too far away when you can still draw off youkai."  
  
Kagome couldn't resist ducking her head and chomping down on his finger at the arrogance in his voice, "You're being an ass again."  
  
He yelped and gave her a swat on the backside, a scolding growl starting in his throat even as his eyes lit with amusement, "I hope you don't have any more to hang on me about that fucking voice, koi."  
  
She blinked, distracted from the way he'd ignored her earlier "no spanking" remark by the look in his eyes and the way his touch suddenly changed from secure and comforting to possessive and languid. She couldn't stop the pink that touched her cheeks or the slight shiver that went through her as the tattoo pulsed and warmed, "I. think that's all. Why?"  
  
Inuyasha slid his hand into the back of her hair and pulled her down closer, "See. there's this thing I've wanted to do to you. since the last new moon."  
  
Kagome sucked in a breath, her heartbeat accelerating as her fingers tangled in the ends of his hair as her eyes darted around to the slowly lightening sky, "But the night's almost over."  
  
His lips kicked up as he scooted back more securely against the trunk of the tree, the hand not in her hair skimming down to the hem of the plain sleeping kimono he'd dressed her in at Kaede's, "That's just about right then."  
  
Her hands snapped down to catch his wrist, swallowing as her ears flattened back, "Just right for what?"  
  
Inuyasha's smirk was hopelessly arrogant as he moved both hands down to grip her hips, "I have the perfect idea for what we should be doing when the sun comes up." 


	61. Most Dreaded Words

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi...

A/N: Wow... been a while. I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am for that, but rather than go into detail, I'll just safe life got a little more than crazy for a bit. In a piddly effort to make up for it, there are two new chapters, but the real 64 is posted on my website due to the *ahem* nature of the chapter.

Anyhow, since I know you'd all rather read on than listen to me ramble, I'll give my nice happy thanks and shut up. LOL, seriously, I've been receiving some of the most amazing reviews in email and here, and to anyone who sent me an email over this last month I'm horribly sorry if I didn't respond. (We had big fun with a virus.) To everyone who takes the time to review, you have my most sincere and utmost adoration. You guys really are the absolute best audience an author can hope for, and you make my day every time I hear that you like my work. And now I'm sure you'd like me to end this so you can read it, LOL ^__^ 

Turnabout is Fair Play: Most Dreaded Words…

Miroku watched Inuyasha twist to look in the direction of the river for what had to be the hundredth time and rolled his eyes, "Inuyasha, Kagome-sama is well within range, and if something were wrong she would have called for us. You agreed to let her bathe alone, so stop fidgeting."

Inuyasha scowled at him in irritation for pointing that out, stuffing his hands up into his sleeves and growling as he shifted to brace his back against the nearest tree, "You would hover worse than I do, if it was your own fucking mate, bouzu."

When Shippou nodded sagely from his perch on Inuyasha's shoulder, both monk and exterminator shared a suspicious look before moving to stand directly in front of the lounging pair of youkai. Sango frowned disapprovingly, folding her arms over her chest, and clearing her throat to get their attention, "What have you done?"

Shippou squeaked, and darted under Inuyasha's hair to avoid the dark looks aimed their way, but Inuyasha's own expression was bland as he looked up at them, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You have both been behaving strangely since you returned, Inuyasha," Miroku pointed at them with his staff, his own look disturbingly similar to Sango's. "What has occurred with Kagome-sama that you are not telling us?"

Inuyasha arched an eyebrow and looked completely unconcerned with their posturing. "This has nothing to do with the fact that she still can hear the voices, Naraku's alive and obsessed with her, and she's still not quite comfortable with handling youkai emotions. I mated her, for fuck's sake, doesn't that give me some right to behave 'strangely,' bouzu?"

Sango frowned at him, shaking her head and folding her arms over her chest, "You and Shippou _never_ get along."

"Maybe he's practicing," Shippou poked his head out from under the thick curtain of Inuyasha's hair, and puffed up defensively.

"Practicing?" It may have been a more believable excuse if Inuyasha wasn't wearing the exact same expression of confusion as the two humans.

The little kitsune folded his arms over his chest and tried his hardest to look completely confident with his explanation, "Well, Okaa-san and Inuyasha are probably going to want kits of their own-"

"Pups," Inuyasha cut in, his cheeks faintly pink when both Sango and Miroku shot him startled looks.

"Whatever," Shippou waved that off, really getting into his idea as he bounced to his feet and gestured enthusiastically, "so you _know_ they're going to have pups someday, but Okaa-san's never going to agree if he can't behave himself-"

"Shippou," Inuyasha growled warningly.

"Well it's true!" he defended, reaching up to grab Inuyasha's ear and yank his head down. "She's never going to agree if all she sees is you beating up on me, you know."

Inuyasha scowled, twisting his head out of Shippou's little hand, "She's seen me with her little brother, dammit, it's not like I ever did anything to him! That fucking brat practically idolizes me."

Sango knew she probably looked just as dumbfounded at the monk at her side, her mind trying to process that not only had Shippou just openly accused the hanyou of trying to show Kagome that he could be a good father, but the hanyou was actually supporting that accusation with his defense, "I-Inuyasha?"

The youkai were a bit too engrossed in their mini-argument to give the shaky whisper any real notice, Shippou turning his nose up arrogantly to taunt, "I hope she washes your mouth out with soap every time you say bad words after you have pups."

"Where the hell did you hear that?!" Inuyasha demanded, wondering where the kitsune had heard such a ridiculous thing. Why would Kagome try to wash his mouth if he cursed?

"_I_ ask about things like that," he stuck out his tongue. "It's interesting to hear how they do things there, but you never act curious. She said the first time she swore when she was little, her mother washed her mouth out." Shippou wrinkled his nose in distaste, "That stuff does _not_ taste good."

His brows lowered, "You tasted her soap?"

"I was curious!" he insisted, his own cheeks bright with embarrassment. "She was a pup herself when it happened, and she said it was really, _really_ gross. So she didn't think twice about listening to her mother about watching her mouth after that."

Inuyasha looked thoughtful, settling back against the tree, "I'll have to remember that one then."

"You say worse!" Shippou pointed accusingly, feeling a sudden sense of foreboding at the smug look on Inuyasha's face. 

"I'm an adult."

"That is _so_ debatable," the kitsune's tail flicked rapidly in agitation.

"I guess you like the taste of that soap more than you admit," Inuyasha heaved a sigh of mock disappointment as he made a grab for the baby youkai. 

Shippou let out a shriek and darted away from him, shouting over his shoulder, "It's for cursing, dammit!"

Inuyasha chuckled, cracking his knuckles as Shippou clapped his hands over his mouth, in wide-eyed realization of the mistake he'd made. "You were saying?"

Shippou let out a wail and started running in circles around the grove. Inuyasha was darting after him, but rather than the usual frustrated dashing, this time he seemed to actually be enjoying himself. The hanyou was obviously trying to hold his usual scowl, but his lips twitched every time he took a half-hearted swing at the boy, eyes glowing and much more gentle than the two engrossed humans had ever seen. 

Miroku followed their progress with his confusion clear on his face, "This… is quite strange, Sango."

Sango stepped back to sit down heavily in the grass before she ended up embarrassing herself, and falling on her face with just how deep her confusion and surprise were running, "Do you think it's true, houshi-sama?"

He sighed and looked down at the exterminator, "You mean that Inuyasha is being kind to Shippou because he's trying to impress Kagome-sama, and convince her he'd be a responsible parent?"

She nodded, watching the hanyou chase Shippou up a tree, and simply smirk up at the little kitsune hissing down at him from a low branch. "It's… just so difficult to believe. Inuyasha wanting children… His behavior has always suggested that it was the last thing he would consider."

"Perhaps we underestimated his desires," Miroku crossed his legs and dropped easily to a cross-legged position beside her. "He _has_ changed, drastically, since Kagome-sama was enchanted. This side he's showing us now seems to be everything he really is."

"How can something so little change so much though?" she raked a hand through her hair and murmured distractedly. "And so quickly!"

He frowned, trailing his fingers along his staff as he tried to think of the best way to vocalize his own theories concerning the mess they were slowly sorting out, "I believe the… idea of being with each other was far from new in their heads, but both believed it to be unobtainable. Suddenly everything they thought was in their way has been removed," he closed his eyes to take up his most common meditative pose. "It stands to reason that neither of them wanted to waste any more time, when they knew they belonged together."

Sango turned to look at him in amazement, vaguely aware of Inuyasha in the background calling up to Shippou, "Oi! You realize you're just making your punishment worse than it has to be by running away, don't you, runt?"

"You'll get bored and forget to punish me if I stay out of the way long enough!" Shippou called back petulantly, digging his little claws into the branch under his feet. 

"I'm feeling patient today," Inuyasha's lips quirked. 

Sango looked back at Inuyasha, reaching out to stroke Kirara when the little cat hopped up into her lap. "Kagome-chan's right… it _is_ disturbing to see him so calm after getting use to him being so temperamental, and blowing up at the slightest provocation."

Miroku didn't bother to open his eyes, "I imagine that has a great deal to do with Kagome-sama herself."

"Pervert," she muttered dryly, rolling her eyes as her fingers slid down to scratch under Kirara's chin.

"Sango! I can't believe you would accuse me of such a thing!" he gave her his most perfected look of affront, pressing his hand flat over his heart to add to the over-all "innocence" of the expression. "My words were spoken in the purest sense!"

She slanted him a look out of the corner of her eyes, "You're jealous that Inuyasha's closer to having a pup than you are to having an heir, aren't you?"

For a moment, his expression reflected his alarm at Sango's observation before he schooled it back to casual blandness, "The thought has never once crossed my mind, Sango. I have nothing but their happiness in mind."

Sango muttered something that was definitely disparaging under her breath, propping her elbow on her knee to rest her chin on her palm, "Shippou lies better than you do sometimes, houshi-sama."

"I can do this all day, Shippou," Inuyasha was sitting on the ground beneath the branch, with a perfectly bored expression on his face.

"Why don't you just chase me and get it over with!" Shippou demanded impatiently.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and muttered before he had a chance to think through his knee-jerk response, "You're starting to sound just like your mother, brat."

Shippou blinked, the anger suddenly rushing out of him as his chest puffed out so far with pride that his ribs were in danger of breaking, "Really?"

"That's not a good thing at the moment," Inuyasha smacked himself in the head, groaning at the delight in Shippou's voice. '_What in the hell got into me to say something like that to Shippou? He was… just acting so much like Kagome, but do I really think of him like he's ours already?'_

The kitsune turned his nose up arrogantly, "You're just bitchy because now you _have_ to admit you like me."

Inuyasha's eyebrow twitched at that little perception, "You're pushing it, Shippou."

Shippou now looked completely unconcerned, plopping down lazily on the branch and fluffing his tail with special precision while he tried to keep the snicker out of his voice, "Pushing it would have been saying you have to admit you _love _me, 'Oyaji.'"

Sango blinked when they took off again, Shippou laughing hysterically while Inuyasha swore and gave chase before observing with growing amusement, "I don't think that it's healthy for Inuyasha to be that red-"

She broke off abruptly when she felt the oh-so familiar palm rubbing over the curve of her backside, followed immediately by the firm squeeze of strong fingers.

Miroku heard the outraged shout at the same moment the equally familiar weight of the Hiraikotsu cracked down on top of his head, wondering in a rather disjointed way if Sango was aware that her face, at that moment, was just as dark as Inuyasha's.

~

Kagome folded her arms on the rocks that created the natural pool close to the bank in the wide river, sighing heavily as she let her thoughts wander aimlessly with the breeze. This was part of the reason she wanted to bathe alone, she wanted to think without any distractions from her friends, well meaning or not. This was a conversation with herself that was long overdue.

_You know we can't stay there._

She closed her eyes as Inuyasha's words drifted back through her mind, pushing away from the rocks and ducking down in the cool water. '_Why aren't I more upset at knowing that I have to leave my time behind? Have I really spent so much time here, fighting and searching for the shards, that this feels more like home to me? Do I even know how to live in the future anymore?'_

That was really the thought that was confusing her, but who could she possibly talk to about her internal tug-of-war? Inuyasha had been the only one who really said it out loud, but Kagome knew he wasn't the only one who thought she was running away whenever she went back to her time. 

Kagome wrinkled her nose, "If I think I could get an unbiased opinion from the same hanyou who once thought smashing the well with a boulder was the perfect solution to helping me decide where I should stay, then I really have lost it."

Or could she?

He seemed so much more… peaceful now, like he was actually taking the time to think things through instead of just letting his temper decide his reactions. He'd told her without hesitation that he'd take her to see her mother, even though he'd added that they couldn't stay, but he was just being honest. He knew just as well as she did that she was just as out of place in the future as he was, the only difference was he was willing to vocalize it. But what would his response be if she finally admitted that she agreed with him?

She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts as she lifted her hands to rub her temples, '_I don't think I can talk to him about this… But I have to talk to _someone… _maybe hearing it loud will help it make sense._'

Sango and Miroku were more understanding and polite about her desire to go back and forth between times, but there was a look in their eyes every now and then… Like they felt abandoned, or hurt when she placed so much priority on her tests instead of in Sengoku Jidai with them, and with their quest.

She sighed miserably, shaking her head, "I can't talk to them either. It seems so childish to even worry about things like this with everything they've gone through."

More and more lately, even before this mess with tattoos and spells, Kagome had started to wonder how her life in the future must look to her friends. In this era there were lives at stake, deaths caused by hesitation, nightmarish dangers and the uncertainty that came from the day-to-day fighting it took just to survive. 

She left it behind regularly for exams.

Pieces of paper where a low score didn't get anyone killed, but she still acted at times, as though the world was coming to an end if she had to retake them?

Shippou's parents had been murdered, Sango's family and entire village had been utterly decimated, and Miroku had a void in his hand that would kill him if they didn't kill Naraku. Not to mention everything that had happened to Inuyasha.

Kagome was suddenly feeling a bit ill.

'_Am I really that selfish?'_ she looked up at the clear sky, brow furrowed with the darkness of her thoughts. '_Inuyasha's the only one who complained whenever I left for school, but how must they have felt when I went on about how important those tests were? Compared to what we go through here, my life in the future is like a fucking vacation…'_

Kagome swallowed hard, trying to subdue the odd rise of guilt that swamped her, paddling to the riverbank and slowly climbing out. She reached for the simple kimono Kaede-baachan had borrowed for her, her lips twisting in a faint smile of self-deprecation, '_And now I'm wearing kimonos. Was it some weird subconscious thing that I was just trying to use to keep thinking of myself as separate from everything here before? Is that why I only wore my own clothes?'_

She chewed on her lower lip as she slipped her arms through the sleeves, '_Was I trying to not fit in?'_

As much as she didn't want to think of that, she didn't really have any other explanation. Jeans or any other kind of pants were at least functional, and not _too_ strange after some of the outfits they'd seen youkai wearing, but she had always insisted on her uniform. It was easier to deny that her place was in the past, when every stare or not-so-quiet whisper about her appearance helped her feel out of place.

Kagome blinked and frowned at that thought, '_When did I start to feel so awkward about being in the future? If I was even feeling the need to remind myself that I came from there.'_

Every time she went back, she always found herself watching her friends talking, thinking they were including her, when she felt detached from the entire thing. It had just seemed… seemed so petty, gossiping about boys and school, movies and shopping. Her thoughts would always wander to the past, thinking about Inuyasha and what he was doing without her. Or worrying if Shippou was getting into trouble, or even how many times she missed seeing Sango whack Miroku over the head, and try to pretend she didn't have feelings for the lecherous monk.

"Kagome, you're an idiot," she shook her head, barely noticing how easy it was to fold and tie the kimono before she reached for the obi. She made a face and sat down on the bank, ignoring the water soaking the cloth from her hair and skin, "And you are in serious need of something to stop these damn mood swings."

That thought had distracted her from her guilt momentarily, but in the peaceful silence of the warm afternoon, it wasn't long before the guilt returned with a vengeance. Bracing her elbows on her knees, she propped her chin in her palms, and watched the sunlight chase over the smooth water in front of her.

In her head, she still had that nagging voice telling her that she was born five hundred years in the future, and nothing that happened could change that. That part of her insisted she finish the quest, give Inuyasha the jewel, and go back home, back to her own time. The guilt came from the feeling in her heart and soul, that feeling that she already _was_ home.

Kagome closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, shivering slightly when the wind changed direction. She growled quietly at the sudden ping that hit the back of her awareness, making her already aching head start to pound, and forced the annoying twinge aside in favor of continuing her attempts to straighten herself out. 

Unfortunately, that wasn't helping her headache any. Especially since her head was starting to sound less and less convinced about where she belonged, and even now the protests only seemed like a token argument. 

She wasn't human anymore, and even before then, her powers were hardly something considered an everyday occurrence in the future. She'd mated Inuyasha, and even if by some strange moment of muddled thinking she actually wanted to leave, she knew letting her go, when all this ended, had never crossed his mind. Now that she thought back on their conversation about the fictional offer of disconnection, she could recall how he'd told her their mating bond would be weakened, and the miserable look on his face when he had. She'd have to be a total idiot not to see how possessive he was, even ignoring how badly they argued when she tried to go through the well.

No, Inuyasha would not let her go, and she did not want him to. Her home was wherever he was, and if she felt out of place in her own time, there was no way in hell the hanyou would want to live on that side of the well either.

But how was she going to tell her family about her indecision?

Or rather, her decision that would leave her locked in the past five hundred years away from them.

'_Maybe I should talk to Inuyasha after all,'_ Kagome's shoulders slumped slightly at the realization that, more than anyone else, she wanted him to reassure her that she was making the right choice. She wanted to talk to him about how to explain everything to her mother, and more than anything, she wanted him to just hold her, and tell her everything was going to work out and be okay.

"I'm absolutely hopeless," she barely suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. It was hard not to feel ridiculous when the undeniable tightness in her throat that normally preceded a bout of tears rose up inside her. Between the chaotic mess of emotions, not to mention the recent events, her instincts had tangled with her desires. Now they seemed to have collided into one big mess, no matter how many different ways she tried to untangle them in her head. 

Maybe that was her clue to let this go for now.

Kagome stood briskly, rubbing her hands down the kimono to smooth it. She turned to go back to where she knew they were waiting for her, '_This has been the weirdest month in my life,' _only to nearly fall over in shock when she turned, barely suppressing a startled scream when she found she wasn't alone, "_How _did-?!"

"What the fuck did that damn inukkoro do to you?" Kouga demanded, arms folded across his chest as his own pale eyes confused, but hard as they darted over her face, and paying special attention to her eyes, cheeks, and ears.

"How didn't I sense you?" Kagome demanded, her voice choked as she pressed a hand flat over her racing heart. '_How the fuck could I have been so distracted that I didn't feel his shards?! Or smell him?'_

She took a sniff and nearly smacked herself in frustration, "The wind changed. _Fuck_-!"

Kouga stepped closer, obviously trying to take in her scent with the water muddling it, "You smell different. You-" he broke off, eyes widening in confused alarm, "you smell youkai!"

Kagome took a quick step back, biting her lip and groaning when she saw his eyes drop to the little point of her fang peeking out, "Kouga-kun, this really isn't-"

"Why do you smell like a youkai?" he shook his head, cutting her off again as he followed her backwards progress. "Hell, Kagome, why do you _look_ like a youkai?" he added with a slight grunt of impatient bemusement.

She swore when she nearly went tumbling back into the water, saved by Kouga's hands snapping out and catching her by the shoulders. "It's a long story. Kouga-kun, Inuyasha's close and he's not going to be happy to see you here alone with me."

Kagome was thinking more along the lines of vital organs being ripped from the wolf youkai, if Inuyasha caught his scent here, with her, before she could get to him and calm him down.

Kouga, however, wasn't listening. His eyes had dropped down lower when his hands pulled her kimono taut over her breasts, brows lowering and a deep growl starting in his throat.

Kagome's thoughts all came to a screeching halt when the wolf youkai's hands left her shoulders and closed over her breasts, squeezing firmly and then cupping the weight, "They're bigger..."

Her cheeks flamed, a curl of anger making her eyes glow vibrantly as her own warning growl started, "What the _hell­-?_"

Kouga lifted one hand to swipe her hair aside, ducking to get right next to her skin and inhale deeply as his other hand dropped to her belly, splaying his fingers and pushed hard. His eyes widened sharply, and he straightened, eyebrows nearly vanishing under his bangs as he hissed out, "The fuck?!"

"If you don't tell me what the fuck you think you're doing, I'm going to-!" Kagome's eyes turned scarlet, one hand snapping to his throat and the other gripping his wrist bruisingly tight, but Kouga's snarl cut her off yet again.

"You're _pregnant!?_"


	62. Open Mouth, Closed Fist

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all belong to Rumiko Takahashi…

A/N:  Oi, minna!  I'm so sorry about taking such a long time to post this up here, but well… LOL, long story short…  My mother had to undergo some major surgery, which means that I had to transfer campuses for my schooling.  Hazard (my dear baby sister) is leaving for college in less than a week and requires assistance.  I tore my ACL and have been in a brace and on crutches, and last but definitely not least, I found out yesterday that my little brother has a hole in his heart and two bi-cuspid valves.  (For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of gross anatomy *rolls eyes* the heart is supposed to have a tri-cuspid and a bi-cuspid.)  So… he has to have surgery as well. 

Hence, here I am, 7 weeks from graduation, holding desperately to my 4.0, living in Utah, and dealing with this…  Lovely.

*****pastes on a bright smile*  Ah well, Futago and Seme are doing their absolute best to keep me sane when I start randomly smacking into walls, and you guys have managed to be the bright point for more than one day, getting sweet such sweet reviews and emails.  .  Even the ones who know what's going on and tease me about opening a paypal account after the laundry list of weirdness in my life.  LOL, you guys crack me up sometimes, you really do!  At any rate, I adore every last one of you, you're fabulous, and thanks for sticking with me through the long un-updated period.  But enough ranting, I know you want to get on with it…  ^.~

Much loves and undying adoration to all my beautiful, fabulous reviewers from the Evil Puppy!  ^____^

Turnabout is Fair Play: Open Mouth, Closed Fist…

            Shippou could always be honest with himself in his head, and while he was being silently honest, he could admit that his bravery only extended so far under even the best circumstances.  Not that he wouldn't fake it if the situation was drastic, or to save his pride, but there were just some moments that called for a change in tactics.

            This just happened to be one of those moments.

"It's a term of endearment?" Shippou tried with a hopeful squeak from his upside-down position at the hanyou's eye level, wriggling in an effort to free his tail from Inuyasha's hand.

            "Not in that tone of voice it's not," Inuyasha growled in annoyance, his eyebrow twitching before he got it under control and restored his calm mask.

            The little kitsune wracked his brain frantically for anything he could say that would convince Inuyasha to focus on something besides whacking him over the head for "being disrespectful" until either he got bored, or Shippou was seeing little dancing stars. Not that he would admit _that_ out loud, but Inuyasha was right about the tone he'd used when he'd called him oyaji, "Ah…but… but-!"

            "If Kagome isn't getting away with that shit, what makes you think you will, hn? I get convinced to be more lenient by her big-eyed look long before I do by yours," he intoned in a disturbingly patient voice, privately enjoying watching the kitsune squirm in his nervous expectations of being punished. "You were being disrespectful, brat, and I have to be just as strict with you as I do with Kagome or she'll ignore it when I tell her to control herself," he managed, just barely, to keep his expression in a firm scowl.

            "Was not!" he protested hurriedly in self-defense.  "You threatened to wash my mouth out with soap!"

            He shrugged and justified that with a casual, "You swore."

            "You _hypocrite!_"

            "You're not helping yourself, runt," Inuyasha lifted him higher, one eyebrow arched to remind him with his expression just who was the bigger, stronger youkai in this particular discussion.

            Sango sighed, shaking her head with a dazed, yet helplessly entertained look on her face as she watched the interaction stretch longer and longer.  She was more than willing to admit that she was absolutely fascinated by Inuyasha's bizarre behavior.    Especially since it wasn't the first time he'd been more or less posturing in front of the little kitsune after catching hold of him, not by a long shot, but it _was_ the first time that seemed to be all he intended to do.  Inuyasha had been staring at the stammering kitsune with a bland look, all while Shippou fidgeted and tried to talk his way out of the hole he was steadily digging himself into.

            _Two months ago he would have already flattened him into the ground and be off pouting,_ she shook her head again, sighing as she stroked her hand absently over Kirara's fur where the fire-cat had long since curled up in her lap.  _Was it really knowing that Kagome-chan wouldn't leave him all he needed to become so calm?  So at peace?_

            Her internal musing was interrupted when the faint groan sounded beside her, peripheral vision registering the monk's telltale twitch as he roused from his latest little unconscious bout.  Just like every other time when she'd stayed around long enough for him to recover, it was only a moment before the groan turned into a muffled curse.  And then even less time still before Miroku slowly pushed himself back up to sitting position, one hand lifting to rub his aching head. 

Sango tried to feel bad about the wince that briefly crossed his face as he rolled his shoulders, she really did.  Watching him unobtrusively through her hair as he turned his head from side to side with a faint pop…  Then again, another part of her couldn't stop itself from smiling faintly in satisfaction at his discomfort. 

'_Maybe if he didn't do that to _every _female he saw-' _she cut her inner voice off with a blush, shaking her head to clear away that damning thought before it could turn into something more revealing. 

            "What did I miss?" Miroku shifted his weight, finding a more comfortable position in the thick grass, and focusing back on the little match still going on between Inuyasha and Shippou.

            Sango's amused smile grew wider at the casual question, rolling her eyes at the way he stereotypically pretended the minor concussion had never occurred, "Inuyasha is still behaving strangely and Shippou-chan just called him a hypocrite."

            Miroku nodded as though that bit of information made perfect sense, settling his staff against his shoulder with a relieved smile, "Not too much then.  It's a shame Kagome-sama is missing this.  I think she would be highly entertained by their arguments as well for once."

            Sango was nodding in agreement before she realized it, imagining the younger girl's reaction and remarking dryly, "I'm not sure this would fit the 'father image' Shippou-chan thinks Inuyasha is trying to prove himself capable of."

            "In his defense, Inuyasha hasn't whacked him over the head yet, or thrown him into a tree," Miroku shrugged and pointed out before giving Sango a sly look out of the corner of his eye.  "Unless I missed that when I was… indisposed?"

            She set her jaw, spine automatically stiffening at the veiled laughter she could sense in his voice, and refusing to rise to the bait while supplying the answer, "He hasn't hit him yet."

            He lifted a hand to hide the quiet chuckle at how she ground out that response, backing up farther to lean against the trunk of the tree behind him with the slightest grunt, "Perhaps he truly is trying to impress Kagome-sama into seeing him more responsibly.  This is the longest I believe he's ever managed to resist that urge."

            They sat in companionable silence for a moment, relaxing as they watched Shippou grow more and more nervous with each failed attempt at an excuse.  Inuyasha's expression stayed mild and disapproving, but his eyes were bright with suppressed mirth that the little kitsune couldn't see in his agitation.  Sango's gaze moved up over the hanyou in a rather distracted manner, a thoughtful look crossing her face as she murmured out loud, "I wonder if they'd have his ears."

Miroku blinked and turned to look at the exterminator in surprise before he started to laugh.  Completely unaware of the startled looks that came their way from Inuyasha and Shippou at the unexpected sound, while Sango's cheeks turned an even darker red, he managed to choke back his amusement long enough to nod his agreement, "That would truly be a sight to see, Sango."

"Oi!" Inuyasha called back to them, his expression changing rapidly to a scowl directed at their human companions, but still holding Shippou aloft by his tail.  "What the hell would be a 'sight to see,' bouzu?" he demanded, growling louder when Miroku only continued to laugh and Sango tried to mollify the hanyou by shaking her head.

"Nothing!" Sango waved her hands in a placating gesture under his darkening expression, turning to hiss at Miroku furiously.  "Houshi-sama, will you shut up?!"

Miroku made a valiant effort to reign in his amusement, but just as he successfully brought a stop the bubbling laughter, Inuyasha's ears twitched and set him right back off.

Inuyasha's eyebrow twitched again, starting to look even more annoyed as he glanced down at Shippou as though expecting the kitsune to have the answers for him.  When Shippou shrugged, his expression just as confused as Inuyasha felt, he swore under his breath and absently plopped the little youkai on his shoulder to free up both hands.  Holding onto his temper while Shippou got more and more creative trying to backpedal was one thing, Miroku laughing his damn head off like an idiot over something suspicious was completely different.  

Swearing blackly under his breath, he stalked over to the human pair and demanded gruffly, "Just _what_ is so fucking funny, hn?"

Miroku tried to wave him off, gasping in a vain effort to stop his laughter while Inuyasha obliviously added to it when his ears continuously flattened back and twitched with his annoyance.  Sango's face was flushing darker than they'd ever seen before, fervently hoping the monk wasn't about to give her away as the instigator, while she threatened him herself.  Trying to do _that,_ and turn away the attention of both youkai as well, however, was turning out to be more of a challenge than she could currently handle.

            "_Bouzu…_" Inuyasha drawled out warningly, lifting a clenched fist as he resisted the urge to just beat him over the head.  He'd lasted against Shippou, how much harder could it be to stop himself from bashing Miroku's head against the ground?  At least until he was sure the perverted monk deserved it.

            Sango's hand fisted in the handle of the Hiraikotsu again, silently wondering if there was some unspoken rule against cracking it against his skull twice in less than an hour.  At the same time, she was wishing that either the ground would open and swallow her up, or some act of the gods would bring the thick branch above Miroku down on his head in karmic retribution for embarrassing her so completely, "Houshi-sama… _shut **up**!_"

            Inuyasha's temper was the first to give out, bringing his fist down on Miroku's head, his eyebrow still twitching as he dusted off his hands in an exaggerated motion.  He stuffed both hands arrogantly into his sleeves and glared at the monk sprawled face down in front of him, "Somehow I don't think Kagome will be too pissed at me for doing that."

            Shippou snickered behind his hand, grinning wider when Miroku groaned and pushed himself back up, rubbing the new lump on his head, "You have the thickest skull out of any human I've ever seen, Miroku."

            Miroku winced and scowled up at the kitsune, but any response he might have made died in his throat when Inuyasha fell back a step and hissed, reaching up to press his hand flat over his heart.  

Miroku sat up in quickly in concern, pain forgotten, and vaguely aware of Sango coming up on her knees beside him while Inuyasha's teeth clenched, fangs elongating and the double crimson stripes fading in on his cheeks.

            "Inuyasha!" Sango gasped out in concern, glancing at Miroku's tightening expression and then following the monk's narrowed gaze when it turned down the path Kagome had taken to the river.  "Kagome-chan is-?!"

            "Is pissed the fuck off at something," Inuyasha finished in a thick growl, shaking his head hard once to clear off the faint dizziness that came with the sudden overpowering rush of his youkai blood.  "Shit, I knew I shouldn't have left her alone!" he spun on his heel, taking off in a flash of red while Shippou clung to his haori to get their with the hanyou, and both humans jumped to their feet to follow.

            "Why is she pissed?!" Shippou demanded frantically, his tail bushing out and flicking rapidly from side to side.  All sorts of possibilities were running through his head, building on each other until he was almost shaking with his imagination-induced fright.

            "I don't fucking know, okay?" Inuyasha gritted out through clenched teeth, tearing through the trees without any care for the poor condition he left the foliage in behind him.  "But whatever it is, it's enough that she yanked her blood to the surface so much that it pulled mine out too."

            Shippou's expression twisted even more in concern, and even a little bit of misery as he voiced his next thought, "Why didn't she call for us if she's in trouble?  She knows we're close enough to hear her if she yells…"

            "I don't _know_!" he repeated in frustration, snarling as he slashed through another tree blocking his direct path to the river, ignoring the splintering crash behind him as he leapt up to move more rapidly through the branches.  He broke through the last of the trees, ripping the Tetsusaiga from its hilt as he dropped to the ground, tense and searching for Kagome and her attacker.  

"Kago-" Inuyasha started, only to come to a skidding halt, his voice failing for a moment before his eyes went wide and he finished in disbelief, "me?"

            The point of the sword clunked heavily against the ground as his grip went slack, knowing Shippou was staring at the absolutely bizarre sight in front of them with just as much shock and confusion as he was.  He lifted his free hand to scrub over his eyes, hoping it was just a hallucination, but when he opened them again, nothing had changed, and he growled out in an almost disgusted voice, "I'm not seeing this."

            Kagome was on the ground, a low, deadly growl rumbling from deep in her throat and eyes glowing vivid scarlet with telltale anger.  Her youkai ears had reformed, laid back almost completely flat against her damp hair, but that in itself wasn't the real cause for concern.

            It was more that her fangs were locked on Kouga's throat, pinning the obviously stunned wolf to the ground without any real indication that she intended to let him move, or even live through the encounter.

            "Goddammit," Inuyasha slammed the Tetsusaiga back into its sheath with a few more choice curses, folding one arm across his chest while he covered his eyes with his other hand and shook his head against the rising ache and added throbbing of unused adrenaline.  _This isn't happening to me…_

            He was so distracted he didn't hear Sango and Miroku rush out of the woods behind him, the monk swearing as he tried to check his forward momentum when he realized the hanyou in his path wasn't moving.  Inuyasha fell forward a step with a grunt when he felt the heavy weight slam into his back, ignoring the sound of pain behind him that he assumed with Miroku when Sango came into his peripheral vision.

            Her eyes went just as wide, attention as riveted to the unanticipated scene as his own when she whispered out in disbelief, "That's…?"

            "Kouga," Shippou finished in a squeak.

            "Inukkoro!?" Kouga choked out at the sound of their voices, trying to swallow around the dangerous points digging into him so close to the major arteries in his neck and move without necessarily hurting the girl on top of him.  He had opened his mouth to try expounding on that when Kagome's eyes closed, the growl kicking up its intensity as she dug fractionally deeper.

            Considering his position, the growl coming from Kouga was impressive, but completely ineffective in getting through Kagome's own rage, and Inuyasha started to bristle the longer he stared at her small form on top of the wolf youkai, "Kagome…"

            One scarlet eye cracked open again, glowing darkly as she focused up on him without releasing her hold on Kouga in the slightest.

            "Up… _now_," his brows lowered in a dark scowl when he sensed her youki balking through their connection. 

            One of her eyebrows kicked up at that tone, giving him a more physical show of her desire to ignore him, but his voice worked at penetrating the blind anger in her mind and slowly working her thoughts back into coherency.  With the return of that came the memory of _why_ she was so angry in the first place and she released Kouga in an instant.

Kagome jumped to her feet and grabbed the wolf by the throat to lift him up over her head, sending him flying in Inuyasha's direction as hard as she could before any of them had time to do more than tense at the hasty attack.

Kouga crashed into Inuyasha, and with Miroku still trying to stand behind the hanyou turned youkai, the added backwards momentum sent both of them to the ground over the monk's back in a snarling, cursing tangle while Shippou shrieked and scrambled over to a safer perch on Sango's shoulder.  

Shippou's eyes went wide in alarm as he looked back and forth from Kagome to Inuyasha and Kouga, and back again, "Oh shit."

            "You miserable, sneaky, sonofa_bitch!_" Kagome fumed, baring her fangs and crossing her arms over her stomach self-consciously, taking a step back to distance herself from the mildly scrabbling pair.

            Irritated at the way Kouga was just making it more difficult to stand with his struggles, Inuyasha rammed his elbow into the wolf's jaw to stun him long enough to get to his feet and turn on his mate, "Kag-"

            "Shut _up!_" she barked out, cutting him off and gesturing around to everyone with quick, jerky motions.  "Did you know?  Fuck, Inuyasha, does _everyone_ know?!  What the hell were you thinking?!"

            Inuyasha went stiff, his eyes widening and then narrowing sharply as his gaze snapped down to the rising wolf angrily, "What did you do, you asshole?!"

            Pain exploded across the side of his face as Kagome darted forward and brought the back of her fist against his cheekbone as hard as she could, knocking him on his back and looming over him like some sort of avenging god, "_HE_ isn't the _asshole_ who got me pregnant, dammit!"

            Sango's mouth fell open, her hand lifting to her mouth in reflex and gaping at the younger girl as she repeated in a disbelieving whisper, "Pregnant?"

            Miroku forgot all about the pain in his head, his back, and all the other areas his poor body had suffered at that declaration.  His own eyes went wide as he turned to look at the hanyou holding the side of his face and rising to his feet, eyes warily trained on Kagome's face.  His voice held a note of demand for clarification as he straightened and murmured, "Inuyasha?"

            "Well, shit, you didn't know?" Kouga cut in before the hanyou could defend himself, rubbing his abused throat as the wounds Kagome had inflicted healed over.  His voice was still rough and he coughed slightly from the prolonged constriction as he righted himself, "No wonder you got so pissed.  That fucking hanyou didn't tell you what he was doing?"

            "Open your mouth again, Kouga, and I'll rip out your tongue," Inuyasha winced, lowering his hand as his own injury healed, and turning to spear the startled wolf with his altered gaze.  "This is between me and my mate."

            Kouga's brows lifted sharply before his eyes narrowed and he leaned in to take a sniff and see just what the hell had happened to change the worthless hanyou so completely.  _Just like Kagome… he smells youkai, but how-?_ his mouth opened to automatically refute the claim when he felt Kagome's hand close around the back of his neck and send him face-first to the ground with even more strength than the last time she'd had a strange reaction and fought him.

"And _you!_  Don't _ever_ touch me again, you hentai!  I don't care how much my breasts grow!" she grabbed onto his hair and jerked his face up to meet her eyes.  "That was just fucking creepy!"

            Shippou winced when Inuyasha's eyes went wide under the indirect explanation of just why she'd been angry enough to change in the first place, tugging on Sango to try and convince her silently to back away from the growling trio, "Oooh, now _that's_ not good…"

            "He what?" Inuyasha's jaw clenched hard enough to get the muscle in his jaw jumping with strain, not even hearing Shippou over the sudden, renewed rush of aggression, his youkai side's insistence that such a blatant challenge be answered.

            Kagome let Kouga go, standing and placing herself between the wide-eyed wolf and her furious, jealous mate as she raked a hand impatiently through her hair, "Apparently, it's only obvious that I'm pregnant because my goddamn breasts are 'swollen.'  If _he_," she pointed a clawed finger down at the dazed wolf, not acknowledging when his gaze turned up to her again, "noticed something like that with as infrequently as we run into him, and he's never seen me naked, then how would my paranoid bastard of a mate _not_ notice!?"

            Inuyasha opened his mouth, closing it again when he couldn't counter that with anything that would settle her anger.  Rather than try, he turned his focus on the wolf pushing himself up for the third time, "You'd better enjoy what's left of your life, yaseokami, because it's going to be over a helluva lot sooner than you think."

            Kagome stalked forward, slapping her open palm against Inuyasha's forehead just hard enough to get his attention back on her and knock him back a step.  He shook his head with a growl at the almost disciplinary swat, but Kagome was already expecting retaliation, and ducked out of the way when he tried to catch hold of her, "Don't even think it, Inuyasha, I'm not out of control and you know it!  I'm pissed as hell and I have every right to be!"

            "Dammit, calm _down_, Kagome," he set his fists on his hips and scowled at her.  "I ought to-!"

"_I_ ought to rip off your ears and feed them to you," she interrupted and pointed at him accusingly.

            Miroku tried to smother an errant laugh at that particular threat, holding up his hands quickly to stave off Kagome's anger when her glowing eyes turned on him at the out-of-place sound, "Kagome-sama, you really must calm down.  If you're… in such a delicate condition, you need to be more careful with your health."

            Kagome took a deep breath, closing her eyes and trying to count to ten before she gave in and strangled the monk right there for his downright cheerful tone, "Miroku-sama…  I highly suggest you move your ass and go stand next to Sango-chan before I find out just how many times I can bash your head against a tree before your inhumanly thick skull finally cracks."

            Miroku was already on his feet and moving to join the stunned taijiya, eager to get out of harm's way even as he calmly nodded, "Of course, Kagome-sama, my apologies."

            She waited impatiently until he was out of the way, folding her arms over her chest and tapping her claws against her arms until she was certain she wasn't going to get any new distractions from that end.  Nodding crisply with a satisfied grunt, she turned back to the two male youkai watching her nervously from their respective positions.  They were both well aware that only an idiot crossed a breeding female youkai, let alone one as angry as Kagome, and neither one of them wanted to catch the brunt edge of her less than controlled temper.  

            "I don't know which one of you I want to drown first," her ears were still twitching, alternately flipping forward and flattening back as she tried to take in a breath and ease her rapidly fraying nerves.  "Do either of you have any idea how fucking hard this month has been for me?  Do you even care?!  I'm _eighteen_, for gods' sake, I'm suddenly cursed, turned into some weird cross between a youkai and myself, actually 'mate' Inuyasha, Naraku makes an ass out of me with his tricks, and now I'm _pregnant?!_"

            "Kagome, calm down," Inuyasha held out a hand, his gaze instinctively darting around the rather tense scene as his mind worked furiously to come up with a way out of this that didn't involve bodily harm.

            She set her hands on her hips, her eyes narrowing sharply, "You are absolutely the last person who should be telling me that, Inuyasha.  _Did_ you know?  Is this one of those things youkai can smell, and I just don't know what it smells like?"

            His eyes slid guiltily away from her at that accusation, clenching and unclenching his hands as he gritted out as quietly as he could manage with everyone's eyes on him, "Kagome, we need to talk about this… alone."

            "Oh I think finding this out from Kouga completely erased your right to privacy," she was back to growling, wanting nothing more than to scream, or cry, or… or… _Do not laugh, Kagome, they're going to think you're absolutely insane if you start laughing._

Kouga let out an impatient sound in the taut silence that followed that remark, glaring at Inuyasha before he turned a confused look on Kagome and demanded, "What the _fuck_ is going on here?!"  He stabbed a finger at the bristling inu-youkai and then back at the 'supposed to be' miko, "You're youkai…  Both of you, but you smell like- hell, Kagome you _look_ like Inuyasha!"

            "I mated her, you bastard, of course she smells like me, and will you keep out of this?" Inuyasha snarled at him, grabbing Kouga by the hair and yanking him around face to face to vent some of his frustration with that physical display even as he ordered sharply.  "Get _out_ of here!"

            Kagome took advantage of the mutual distraction, rushing forward again and back-handing Kouga out of Inuyasha's hold to send him stumbling before she ducked down to slam her elbow into Inuyasha's stomach and double her mate over, "Is it really that difficult for the two of you to stay focused on a topic for more than five minutes without starting a fight?!"

            Inuyasha straightened angrily, using that emotion to cut down his recovery time as he kicked Kouga in the side, sending the wolf crashing back into a tree, narrowly missing Miroku in the process.  Without the distraction of Kouga, he finally succeeded in grabbing Kagome's wrist and yanking her up against him, "Dammit, Kagome, this behavior is getting old!"

            "Oh, I haven't even started yet with this 'behavior,' Inuyasha," she ground out, fisting her hands in his haori and pivoting, using her body weight the way she'd seen him do to throw him over her shoulder and back towards the others with a grunt of exertion.

            Inuyasha caught himself on his hands before he went too far, purposefully going to the ground to twist into a better position and roll back up to his feet in a fluid motion while he snapped out at her with protective anger, "Fuck, bitch, the pups!  Will you stop before you hurt yourself and the pups?!"

            Her hands went reflexively to her stomach before what he yelled really registered and had her eyes darkening in a hurry.  Her hands fisted at such unmistakable proof that her suspicion was right about his knowledge of her condition, and she swore at him violently, "_That's _it!  That's what's been wrong with you!  Good gods, this whole time.  Since…  You _did_ know!  That's why you've been watching me like a hawk and telling me what to eat and what not to do!  When were you planning on telling me this?  When I fucking went into labor?!"

            "I've been trying to figure out how to tell you, you stubborn bitch!" he snarled back at her, frustration and worry mingling with his anger and making him much less concerned with even trying to soften his words.  "You think it was easy?  Do you have any idea how hard it is to try and take care of you without telling you why I was being so careful?"

            Kagome let out a short laugh, glaring at him as she tried to keep herself from touching her stomach again with natural curiosity and even a little bit of awe, _Pups… _his_ pups are inside me_.  Then again, that wouldn't fit with the point she was trying to make, so she settled for focusing on her irritation at least a little longer, "How much harder could it have been to tell me?  _I'm_ the one that's pregnant, you ass, not you."

            Inuyasha's brows pulled down in a dangerous scowl at having his role in their presence downplayed like that, "They're mine, Kagome.  You're the one who's carrying them, but I'm the one that put them there."

            "Well, no shit," she set a hand on her hip, and remarked in as flippant a voice as she could manage, giving him a sardonic look.  "Unless some _other_ idiot hanyou snuck in on me and is still trying to figure out how to break the news to me."

            "Don't even fucking joke about that," his lips pulled back in an instinctive snarl at the very thought of someone other than him touching Kagome that way.  Even worse now that he had a very real, very serious claim on her, body and soul, "No one but me is ever going to 'sneak in on you,' Kagome."

            "I'm dead serious at the moment, Inuyasha," Kagome eyes narrowed on his face, ears laying back with her growl as she slid down into a slight crouch.  All amazement at her pregnancy aside, she was still far less than pleased with his tactics, "And I'm still very, _very _angry with you."

            "Kagome, _I'm_ going to be more than angry if you start jumping around again now that you know you have my pups in you," Inuyasha's voice dropped down low, almost a challenge on its own, a command for her to behave.

            She snorted at that in mocking amusement, the muscles in her legs bunching in preparation as she bent deeper into the crouch, "This is my body, Inuyasha, not yours.  I know what I can handle."

            "Don't try it."

            One brow kicked up in an arrogant motion that put him disturbingly in mind of his brother before her gaze slanted to find where Kouga was swearing violently, shaking off his collision with the tree.  The wolf youkai was gripping his head in one hand as he pushed himself to his feet, oblivious to the attention as Kagome looked back at Inuyasha with a speculative gleam in her eyes.

            Inuyasha was instantly growling in warning disapproval, "Oh don't you dare…"            

            Kagome weaved slightly to one side, watching Inuyasha shift his weight to rush at her before she bolted the opposite direction, towards Kouga.  Kagome dug her feet into the dirt, sliding right up in the youkai's face to hook her arm through his and flip him over her head, throwing Kouga at the hanyou again before the wolf had recovered from his surprise.  

            Inuyasha swore at falling for such a juvenile trick, irritated with himself for failing to think Kagome would have picked up on such sneaky tactics on her own.  Then again, if there was anything he should be telling himself, it was definitely that this spell had proven just how versatile, and adaptable Kagome really was.  He corrected his direction in time to see Kagome throwing the wolf at him again, and brought up his arm when Kouga twisted around in the air to land on his feet.  As much as he hated to assist the wolf, he didn't want to spend even the tiny bit of extra time it would take to duck under him, instead slamming his forearm against the bottoms of Kouga's feet to shove him up like a springboard and out of the way of his path to Kagome.

            Inuyasha sidestepped to block her next attempt at sneaking away from him, sweeping out his arm to catch her just above her stomach when she yelped and tried to jerk away from him.  He closed his arm around her, dragging her back against his chest and tightening his grip to pin her arms down at her sides when she tried to squirm free of him again, putting his mouth right next to her ear to growl out, "Stay!"

            Kagome hissed furiously when her legs went numb and effectively ruined her chance of escape, swearing rather creatively as she turned a scowl up at Inuyasha through her disheveled hair, "Real cute, Inuyasha, you're obviously _so_ concerned about the pups if you're-!"

            Inuyasha gave her a squeeze to cut her off, lifting her up higher against his chest and completely off her feet.  He slid his free hand under one arm and turned her to face him, catching her beneath the other arm as well before she could slip too far in the off-balance hold.  He lifted her up just a little higher than eye level with easy strength, catching her gaze to make sure she was seeing his own frustration, "Goddamn you, Kagome, I _am_ looking out for the pups, and _you!_"

            "Well you've got a fucked up way of showing it!" her hands came up to grip his forearms, making a futile effort to get herself free.  She finally gave up, twisting her fist in the front of his haori and yanking hard to give herself the illusion of still having control over the situation, "Put me down, Inuyasha, or as soon as I get the feeling back in my legs, I'm going to make damn sure you don't father any more pups!"

            Inuyasha's eyes were literally glowing with his anger at her continued stubbornness, shaking her once to stop her posturing growl before he dragged her close enough that their noses were nearly touching, "You stubborn, temperamental bitch!  I would have beaten your ass for this kind behavior a long time ago if I didn't love you so fucking much!!"


	63. Two Dogs With One Stone

Turnabout is Fair Play  
~_Two Dogs With One Stone_~

"Sit."

Miroku and Sango covered their mouths in unison. Panic flashed through Inuyasha's eyes as the rosary sparked, followed by a sleight of hand faster than they had ever dreamed the hanyou would be capable of moving.

Unbeknownst to the pair, their thoughts in that moment ran in strikingly similar directions. Both wondered just how many years they were bound to spend attempting to figure out just how Inuyasha managed it. From holding Kagome up under her arms to expertly balancing her up out of harm's way on one hand while the magic of the spell simultaneously smashed him face-first to the ground.

As the dust settled on the stunned silence, Shippou dryly observed, "And to think... I was sure he'd only pull that trick off with his ramen."

Kagome ignored their captivated audience and sat on his palm as casually as though she were doing no more than resting on the rim of the well. She didn't seem at all bothered at they way the crash of the hanyou's body colliding with the dirt echoed over and over through the trees. Her head tilted down so her bangs could more easily cover her eyes to hide her expression. It concealed everything but her mouth, and that she kept in a carefully neutral line. She somehow even managed to keep the recently acquired ears atop her head motionless as she waited for her own submission to wear off.

It was almost laughable the way everyone tensed when she finally shifted to get her feet on the ground and stand under their intense focus. Even Kouga looked uncertain of how to deal with such uncharacteristic silence. It was a huge upset to their well-established pattern of behavior post-antagonism and he didn't like it in the least. Frustrated, his brow furrowed and a faint growl came from low in his throat. He clenched and unclenched his hands, trying to decide what he should be doing with them in such an off-balance situation. More importantly, how best to approach the miko he'd thought he'd known so well.

This wasn't the time for a fight. And even if he wanted to instigate one with the hanyou so bad he could taste it, there was no way in any level of Hell that he would act the aggressor against Kagome under any circumstances. Newly pregnant, _just _discovering it from a "outside source," and obviously under some sort of a fucked-up spell that had changed everything in her body was simply not a time for any intelligent youkai to approach her.

But for as much as he wanted to help her, Kouga didn't have the foggiest idea where to start there either. Inuyasha had an singularly unparalleled _GIFT_when it came to bringing out anyone's temper. Kouga wasn't going to risk being turned into the outlet for Kagome, especially not since it would mean being the outlet for a miko with massive, spectacular strength in purification.

Unless he knew _she _was certain any overture from him was on the friendliest of terms, he had to wait for her express approval.

Anything else would really just be begging to get his ass purified by the breeding woman.

Kouga's gaze dropped down to where Inuyasha remained unmoving in the dirt. He swallowed hard in indecision before he twisted to observe Kagome silently returning to the river. His frown shifted, filling with concerned guilt when she crossed her legs and sat down. The only move she made was to lift her arm in order to give that little fox kit of hers a clear path to her lap when the boy hesitantly scampered close.

_Technically_, Kouga acknowledged privately, Kagome's reaction was his own fault.

Even if he didn't have any faith in a half-breed's ability to handle something as important as breeding, Kouga still aggravated the current mess. _And_ upset Kagome by being the one to let her in on her condition. She really couldn't be more than a week or two in, not with how faint the thickening blend of scents was in her own. _He _knew- even if she obviously _didn't_- that she really shouldn't be rushing into a fight the way she did. Not until the scent settled firmly in her own lest she risk uprooting the fragile life as it tried to bury deep and strong in her womb's protection. Despite being Inuyasha's (for all the hanyou just plain rubbed him the wrong way and fought with him over Kagome's affection), he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he was the one who caused her body to reject the pregnancy.

Seeing Kagome lift her hand to stroke her fingers soothingly through the kitsune's hair caused a wave of relief to sweep through him. If she felt calm enough to do so, it suggested more toward her being free of any ill effects from her... previous exercise. At least it was a _good_ sign toward it and he was willing to grasp at what he could at the moment. _She's petting the little runt, so she's-? Is she calming down?_

Patiently, he waited for the tension to drain out of her stance. He cocked his head to one side in a particularly canine motion; oblivious to the way his tail lazily flicked back and forth.

After another few tense heartbeats of time to let the lingering anger and adrenaline seep out of her natural scent and aura, Kouga turned his attention down at Inuyasha. Answers were most definitely the key to dissolving the last of the crackling aura that still hummed oppressively in the air. For everyone's sakes, he was determined to get them before the volatile situation got out of hand all over again.

Now it all came down to a matter of who best to dig those answers out of: an on-edge, newly breeding miko; or a newly-flattened, overly aggressive hanyou always on the look-out for a reason to start a fight.

"Oi. Inukkoro." Kouga shifted his balance to one foot and prodded at the hanyou with the other when his "greeting" failed to get a reaction.

"Get your foot off my head or I'll break it off," Inuyasha's voice was clear enough despite being muffled by the dirt. When Kouga hesitated, he flexed his fingers in an effort to come off more threatening that he felt. He'd rather not face any of them while he was still trying to calm the frantic pounding of his heart over what almost happened.

If he'd been any slower in moving her out of harm's way, Inuyasha knew he could have potentially come down on top of her. More than just the impact, his weight with the added force of the damn spell behind it was surely too much for her to handle. Even with his blood obviously running on high, right now it would be entirely focused on protecting Kagome instead of the almost life being created inside her.

_I could have fucking killed them_. He took slow, deep breath against the surge of fear-driven temper that came rushing into his head as the panic faded away. His anger rose in leaps and bounds until his throat was aching with the need to demand what in all the flaming _HELLS _she'd been thinking to pull a stunt like that.

He was abruptly pulled from his thoughts when Kouga unexpectedly obliged. Then again, the wolf only stepped back in order crouch down so he could easily reach out and grab Inuyasha's ear between two fingers. Before he could try to swat the wolf away, Kouga used the insulting hold to yank Inuyasha's head up. "You idiot. I should have suspected a hanyou mutt like you would manage to fuck this part up too."

Inuyasha reached up, fisted his claws in Kouga's ponytail, and slammed his head down in the dirt right beside his own. Obstinately, he leaned all his weight onto that hand to lever himself up just to grind the wolf's face harder into the ground and growled. "Don't get pissy with me now just because she's obviously mine, _yase-ookami_. I'm not the one who fucked up."

Kouga shoved him off with a louder growl in an instinctive attempt to assert his dominance. The two mildly scuffled as Kouga continued to snarl while he regained his feet. He brushed the back of his hand across his face and remove the loose soil and glared as angrily as ever. Fangs bared, he drew himself up and sneered, "She can do better than-!"

Kouga broke off with a look of utter amazement overtaking his face as it dawned on him that someone had just had the gallto bring something down on top of his head.

A particularly heavy something, actually, that successfully dropped him to his knees with the complete unexpectedness of the attack.

"If you two are _quite_ finished?" Sango's eyebrow was twitching and lips compressed in severe disapproval. She looked down at Kouga and leaned forward to press more of Hiraikotsu's impressive weight down on the youkai's head. "We _do_ still happen have a slight problem that _both_ you brainless idiots are responsible for, and if you don't get off your asses and fix it, _I'm g_oing to have two new targets for practice tonight. Understand?" Her voice turned staggeringly frigid by the last word. She nodded once even though neither had spoken, ground her weapon meaningfully against the wolf's thick skull, and lifted the boomerang to re-sling it across her back.

Kouga opened his mouth to make a remark about a human being able to catch him, even one of Kagome's friends, when he made direct eye-contact with the female looming over him like an avenging angel. He could feel his eyes widen and instinctively leaned away from the snapping temper lurking violently in those uncommonly reddish-brown eyes.

He finally understood just what Inuyasha could find to be so intimidating in a mere human. _T-that's... that's such a chilling expression..._

Miroku felt so much delight at the path Buddha placed him on more and more at the sight before him. He smiled with a great deal of smug pride and watched the two "fearless" youkai cringing away from Sango at her glorious finest like a pair of recalcitrant children. After suffering his years of constant badgering and taunting, particularly from Inuyasha in regards to his taijiya's temper, there was something infinitely satisfying about it.

Convinced Sango had those two well in hand, he schooled his expression to a softer smile, readjusted his grip on his shakujou, and made his way towards Kagome. She appeared content to sulk on the riverbank with Shippou looking rather sheepish in her lap, but Kagome was a difficult woman to read when she truly wished to be. Sango would handle Inuyasha and Kouga with her own methods of persuasion, so he decided to try his hand with the more difficult challenge of Kagome's emotional upset.

Shippou looked up when he heard the soft jingle of rings heralding Miroku's approach and patted his hand on Kagome's arm just in case she'd missed the monk in her contemplations. Miroku saw her give the kit a comforting pet and considered that enough of a sign it was safe to sit down beside the silent girl. He slanted a glance at her lowered head and heaved an exaggerated sigh. When that failed to garner a reaction, he reached out and gently set his hand on her knee. "I don't suppose you'd agree to bear my child as well, would you, Kagome-sama?"

Kagome's head snapped up. Eyes wide, she stared at Miroku for what felt like ages. Regardless, he kept right on smiling at her as pleasantly as though he'd done no more than remark on the weather. She blinked once and he felt a sliver of doubt in the far reaches of his mind. Before it could take hold, the red in her eyes flickered and faded away to her normal blue. The faintest upwards turn started at the corner of her lips. "You hentai."

"Please!" He pressed his hand flat against his heart with feigned offense, but his eyes were sparkling in triumph at being able to pull her out of the horrible mood so efficiently. "I am but a humble servant of Buddha."

Shippou and Kagome snorted their opinion of that claim in unison, but the kitsune's mournful look had changed to a delighted smile as well. His tail swished with excitement and he flashed bright, grateful eyes up on Miroku. When the monk nodded encouragingly, Shippou flung his arms across Kagome's stomach and snuggled into her. He wanted to bask and revel in the feel of her ribs moving with the soft chuckle the "humble monk" had coaxed out of her.

Kagome stroked her hand through Shippou's hair. She drew in a deep lungful of fresh air and let the clean peace of the river sooth her on a visceral level. She rubbed the bridge of her nose and brushed her hair back over her shoulder with the unoccupied hand. "If you tell me Sango just killed them both, I just might kiss you."

"The hell you wi-_ow!_" Inuyasha's angry tirade was cut short by a heavy _thunk_ they knew all too well. "Dammit, Sango, what the fuck was _that _for?"

A wider smile crossed Kagome's face and she covered her mouth to hide the new, louder chuckle that escaped at his outburst. The signs of amusement came through more easily when she heard Sango's hiss for silence and Kouga's appreciative laughter join in as well. Apparently, not even a knock on the head from Sango's wrath would stop Kouga for long. Kagome suspected it was more about having such a prime chance to see his favorite rival get bullied around by a pair of "human" girls. But as long as it kept him over there and- as placid as he was capable of being, she wasn't inclined to step in.

The smile faded after a moment and her eyes took on a distant look as the real reason for her inattention returned in full force. She'd dreamed over the years of all the different ways Inuyasha would confess to her. Younger, those visions had been soft and private; full of romance and whispered endearments. As she grew older, the rose-tinted filter of immaturity faded and subsequently changed the fantasies as well. One thing that always remained the same was how he would look intently into her eyes, draw her in, and confess his feelings. Sometimes he confessed them with the same confidence he carried into battle. In others, he was shy and awkward; disliking the vulnerability but admitting it anyway because she meant that much to him.

The _reality _on the other hand...

She turned Inuyasha's confession over and over in her mind, and her fingers resumed their strokes through Shippou's hair. _I should have known._ She felt the unmistakable prick of tears but closed her eyes quickly to hide it from Miroku and Shippou. _The first time he admits that he loves me...the first time he actually says such serious words. It just has to be in the middle of a threat._

Abruptly, her lips quirked up in a soft, yet wry smile as something occurred to her. _But then, it wouldn't be Inuyasha if he'd said it any other way. And he_ did _say it in front of everyone. In front of KOUGA._

Shippou wrinkled his nose when he felt a splat on his hand. Looking down in mild surprise he saw a droplet of water slide down his wrist. _Rain? _He frowned, turning his palm up to feel for more before he heard the sniffle above him.

"O-oi!" Shippou shot to his feet in alarm. He tangled his little hands in Kagome's kimono and tugged on it to get her attention. "Don't cry! Kagome-kaa-san, don't cry!"

Inuyasha's eyes widened and his ears snapped straight up at Shippou's nervous stammer. Concern took over and his head whipped around from where he'd been in a glaring contest with Sango to find Kagome on the riverbank. _Crying? Shit, Kagome's crying?_

Kagome offered Shippou a bright smile and patted him again. When he still stared up at her with worry clear in his eyes, she shook her head in an effort to better dispel his concern. "It's nothing, really. Must be my _condition._" She made sure to emphasize that in a louder tone of voice and turned a flat look over her shoulder only to falter at Inuyasha's openly worried expression. Stubbornness and pride alone allowed her to hold her glare. But her resolve was starting to crumble under the emotion in his eyes as it deepened the vibrant gold she was so entranced with.

His ears flattened back under her angry censure. Still, he set his jaw in determination and stood to face her with his fists stuffed up in his sleeves. "Kagome, we have to talk. Alone."

Kagome turned to look out over the water again. It might have worked to shield her expression from Inuyasha, but her eyes gave her away to both Shippou and Miroku. She shook her head to dispel Miroku's questioning look and swallowed hard to get her emotions under control. Once they were as settled as they were going to get under the circumstances, she took in a deep breath and asked, "Did you mean it?"

"Hell yes, I mean it!" Inuyasha took a step forward and had to stop himself from simply scooping her up and carting her off. He wanted them safely away from all the curious eyes bouncing back and forth between them. Not to mention the interference from certain "outside influences" that fucked his chance to tell her about the pregnancy the right way. He'd already made enough mistakes in this one day to last at least a year; and he was determined not to piss her off again. Not about this. "We need to talk!"

"Not that!" She snapped out in exasperation, subconsciously mimicking his pose when she stuffed her hands into the sleeves of her kimono to make a circle of her arms and pull Shippou closer. _Gods above, how can he be so smart and so_ stupid _all at the same time?_ "What you said before. Did you mean _that?_"

Inuyasha blinked and tilted his head in confusion. "What did I say before?"

"Sit."

Miroku winced in sympathy when the hanyou went down with a crash a second time. This time swearing all the way at what Inuyasha obviously felt was an undeserved trip to the ground. Moving his hand from her knee to her arm, Miroku gave her a gentle squeeze and murmured, "Kagome-sama. This _is _Inuyasha. Perhaps he needs to be reminded more specifically."

"Oi! What's that supposed to mean, bouzu?" Inuyasha shoved up against the spell. His eyes blazed with fury at how easily the monk was touching Kagome when she was still too angry with him to let him get close.

Shippou bounded up onto Kagome's shoulder and shot Inuyasha a furious look. The kitsune jerked his head at her and crossed his hands in front of his chest in an attempt to silently convey this wasn't the time for Inuyasha to be throwing a fit. When the hanyou frowned at him, he patted one little hand over his heart and arched his eyebrows. Hoping his pantomime would prod Inuyasha's memory in the right direction for what she wanted to know.

Shippou's face took on an annoyed scowl when Inuyasha's confused expression didn't change. _Inuyasha if you screw up my chance to have a family again, I'm going to kill you! Say you love her, you thick-headed moron!_

Inuyasha blinked as he debated asking Shippou what the hell was wrong with his chest. Given everything going on, however, he shrugged it off as unimportant. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other while he mentally went back over everything he'd said that she might ask about. "You mean if I would beat your ass? Well, shit, Kagome, if you don't start taking better care of yourself then yeah, I will. But not until after you've had the pups."

Shippou smacked his hand over his eyes and groaned loudly. "Oh good flaming gods."

Kagome could feel her eyebrow twitching. Her ears flattened back with her rising fury and her muscles tensed in preparation as she started to stand in order to give her obnoxious mate a piece of her mind. And maybe a foot while she was at it.

Miroku's hand tightened to hold her in place before she could get far; just as she heard the satisfying thud of the Hiraikotsu against bone. If there were any doubts, the hanyou's violent swearing blistered the air to prove just who had been its target.

"_Sango! _I swear to-!"

Inuyasha's snarl was cut off with a yelp when Sango grabbed his ear and dragged him halfway back to Kouga. She yanked his head down hard and hissed in the sensitive appendage, "You told Kagome-chan you love her, you unimaginable _jackass! _We all heard you!"

Kouga's brows shot up, unconsciously mimicking Inuyasha's perplexed expression. Although he chose to remain silent while the hanyou took the more vocal method of addressing the problem and turned his scowl at Kagome. "Bitch, is _that _what this is all about?"

Shippou was slowly resigning himself to a single-parent existence. He deflated down on Kagome's shoulder and buried his face against her kimono with a deep sigh. _He's an idiot. A completely unfixable idiot._

In the tense silence, Kouga could only ask, "How the fuck are you treating her, Inukkoro?"

At the offended look and growling he received, Kouga arched an eyebrow and folded his arms over his chest. He leaned back against the nearest tree to let his regenerative abilities start to mend all his aches and the new injuries sustained from that inhuman female masquerading as a human. That, and it gave him a clear, comfortable position to listen and observe the whole mismatched group Kagome always insisted he leave her with.

The wolf looked back and forth from miko to hanyou and tried to piece together everything that could have happened to bring events to this disastrous conclusion. _Why would she be uncertain about the worthless hanyou's emotions when it's obvious what he's done? Is he behaving in such a vague manner towards her now that she's breeding that it's been put in question?_

When he opened his mouth to ask just that, Inuyasha shot him a warning look to prevent it. The hanyou bared his fangs in a snarl that clearly said he already intended to smash Kouga's head against the ground a few more times for the insult. After he'd straightened out his dense miko's broken perception skills. "Oi! Answer me, Kagome! Are you acting like this over something that fucking silly?"

"Silly? _Silly?_" Kagome was on her feet, facing him so fast that both Shippou and Miroku nearly went flying. "You think telling me you love me is '_fucking silly_,' Inuyasha? Do you realize you've _never fucking said it before now?_" Her eyes were blazing with rage at how casually he dismissed something that meant so much to her.

Never one to be outdone in a match of tempers, Inuyasha picked himself up and snapped right back. "What difference does it make if I say it or not? How could you not tell, dammit? Didn't I make it obvious enough?"

"Obvious?" Kagome repeated in disbelief; completely taken aback by that question. She stared at him in disbelief as her mind tried to work around the insinuation behind it. _Obvious? Wait, but that means-? He thought I-? Inuyasha thought I knew it already?_

Inuyasha made a sound of frustrated impatience and flung out his hand in an expansive gesture. "What the hell else do you want me to do to prove it to you? I made it obvious enough to everyone else! Your weird friends, my goddamn bastard of a _brother_... fuck, bitch, I even agreed to stay out of it and let you fight Kikyou! What else do you need before you can tell?"

Kagome stared at him, blinking as her ears flipped forward and back into her hair again while one hand lifted to rest on Shippou's back. _He... really thought he was saying it clearly enough without the words?_

"I'm even going to tell your family - like _you_want me to - as soon as we go back through the well, and I'm sure that Kaede-baba already spread it all over the village." He jabbed a clawed finger back in the direction of Kaede's hut, working himself up into a prime rant. "Kouga's right fucking here and he can tell you're breeding, so that pretty much covers everyone, doesn't it? You practically get away with murder and I don't stop you. I protect you, I sleep with you; what else can I do to prove it to you, dammit?"

"Then... you _did _mean it?" Kagome interrupted the moment he stopped to take in a breath while his eyes clearly showed he was only gathering steam.

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't!" Inuyasha was close to throwing his hands up and just bashing his head against the nearest tree in frustration. Or better yet, making those promised bashes to Kouga's head against the nearest tree until he felt better. Inuyasha turned slightly to eye the wolf watching the whole scene so intently; momentarily turning over the pros and cons of following through on that thought.

Finally, however, he settled for raking his claws through his hair and swearing under his breath. He took what he hoped was a calming breath and tried again. "Kagome, can't we talk about this privately? This isn't something everyone needs to hear."

"This is one of those disagreement moments, Inuyasha." She folded her arms under her breasts. Her hands unobtrusively stroked over her stomach before she used them to catch the kitsune sliding down her chest to get a better seat for the more civilized version of their recent arguments. "I already told you, hearing about this from Kouga completely erased your rights to privacy on this one."

"Kagome-"

"If you growl at me, I'm going to eat nothing but potato chips and candy bars until I have this baby." Kagome's brows drew together and her eyes dared him to question her resolve. "I'm mad at you, Inuyasha; I mean it. _Nothing _but junk food, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it."

Inuyasha's mouth opened to retort when the actual threat clicked in his head and he snapped it shut. Better that than accidentally saying something to lose the ground he'd inexplicably gained. _She's speaking protectively about the pregnancy. Or at least, well, _indirectly _protective of them. She's not trying to throw Kouga at me or bouncing around carelessly to attack me. She's willing to stay calm and talk._

"_Did _you mean it?" She repeated with more than a hint of a snarl sneaking into her voice with the aggravation of just how many times he was forcing her to say those words. "Straight answer, Inuyasha. Yes, or no."

Inuyasha stuffed his arms deeper into his sleeves and hunched his shoulders as he shot some of his more impressive scowls at the wholly unaffected spectators. "Bitch, you already know when I mean what I say."

Shippou sighed and rubbed his head. "Why do you have to make everything so difficult?"

"You stay out of this!" Inuyasha pointed to the little kitsune angrily hiding his discomfort in the frustration that easily spilled over into that sharp command.

Shippou's response was to stick out his tongue and flip him a rude gesture, "What do you expect when you're doing such a _crappy _job of telling her why you did it?"

"Coming from a damn kitsune?" He reflexively bared his teeth. "Your ideas about this shit are ridiculous and every self-respecting youkai knows you can't trust-!"

"And after you were being so mature and smart about so many other things," Shippou interrupted to continue his lamenting without giving Inuyasha a chance to finish the tirade against his race. He snuggled into Kagome's arms and reached down to pat his hand against her stomach. He'd never tried before, but he made his best effort to call to the developing ki and bond at this early stage. "Don't worry. At least your Mama is smart."

"Shippou, you're digging your own-" Inuyasha took a step forward, one fist raised to clock him over the head when Kagome let out a sound of impatience and held up a hand to stop the advance.

"Inuyasha, you can chase Shippou-chan later. _After _I decide whether or not it's worth it to rip off your arms and beat you with them until the moon comes up, strangle you, or shave your head for keeping this from me." She drummed her fingers on her arms until Shippou reached up to press on her hands to stop the nervous gesture. She sighed and patted him on the head before she reached up to massage the bridge of her nose. "Is it really so hard to say it? Is that why you're dancing around it after you've already said it once?"

"Well, shit, Kagome, words don't mean anything!" He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, obviously uncomfortable with explaining his actions in front of so many others. It was even worse with Kouga, of all people, sitting there; the wolf watching them with both great interest and uncommon composure. "Anyone can say _words_."

Kagome frowned at his explanation. Her mouth opened as she started to respond, but stopped herself as she let the full meaning of it sink in. _Anyone can say words? Actually, I can see where Inuyasha might be mistrusting of words after the life he had. But does that-? Could he really have been "saying" it all this time?_

She gave up on the bridge of her nose and moved on to straight up to rub her hand over aching head. It was disconcerting, but she could actually _feel_ her blood slowly settling down the longer she stared at him. As it settled, it was much easier to see the anxiety -and even a little bit of hurt- that he was trying to hide beneath his glare. _It never occurred to him that I wouldn't know._

"Have I ever done anything to make you doubt it? Do you think I'm mistreating you?" He motioned expansively with one hand, flustered and grasping for whatever it was he wasn't understanding when she continued to stare at him in silence. "Fuck it all to hell, Kagome, if this was bothering you this much, why didn't you say something before now?"

Kagome squirmed when all five pairs of eyes turned on her to hear the answer to that one. She instinctively took a step back while her mind momentarily wiped clear of coherent thought at suddenly being on the other end of the argument. "I-ah..."

Inuyasha's arms came out of his sleeves to fold over his chest. He struck a much more confident pose once he realized he'd just managed to twist things in his favor. "If you want a straight answer out of me, then you owe _me _one too."

She could feel her cheeks turning pink when Miroku and Kouga nodded in subconscious agreement to that roundabout command. "I _know _that."

"Then why didn't you ask before now?" His brows lifted with the question. He pressed on to hold her attention before it could wander away to the others; or she found a way to avoid the issue and turn it back on him. "It's this not talking to me about what you're thinking and doing that got us into all this shit in the first place, isn't it? Even after all that, you're still keeping things from me?"

The guilt on her face changed instantly to flat accusation. "Somehow, _that _coming from you just seems to carry a little less weight at the moment, Inuyasha." She pressed one hand meaningfully onto her stomach, "I'd say this is about the mother of all 'keeping things' from the other person involved."

Inuyasha inwardly cursed at not quitting while he was ahead, but still refused to back down. He admitted, "I was trying to figure out how to tell you what happened! I told you that already. I didn't mean to keep it from you, I just didn't... want to do it wrong."

Kagome dropped her gaze and closed her eyes again at the way his voice trailed off with self-conscious uncertainty. She had to swallow hard against the need to comfort him and inwardly cursed at the renewed prick of tears right behind her eyes. _Dammit! Why can't I stop crying? I- I just waited to hear it and he-! _She cut her thoughts off before they could make things worse and bit down hard on her lip in her effort to hold her emotions back. "Why?"

"Why do you think?" He gave her a dry look, unable to stop the faint growl from rising in his chest as he resigned himself to swallowing his pride and explaining everything in front of everyone. She was right about it being his mistake that she'd heard it from Kouga first, and if she needed this to be done in front of all of them to make it right, he'd grit his teeth and do it.

"This is just a little bit important to me, Kagome." He made sure his tone made it clear just how much of an understatement he considered that remark. "Or do you really think I would have done this if I wasn't serious? This is _kids_; these are actual living things from you and me. This is a family, _our_family."

Her entire expression softened for a moment, eyes so liquid with emotion that Inuyasha breathed out a sigh of relief. Right up until he saw the confusion chase across her face. "Kids?" She repeated, carefully drawing out the "s."

Shippou's eyes went wide at the slip up and he smacked a hand up to his forehead again. _Oh shit._

Inuyasha's own expression changed back to panic, tensing as he tried to backtrack when her mouth made an "oh" of discovery over his reaction. "Wait, Kagome-"

"As in more than _one?_" Kagome's spine straightened bit by bit until it was almost perfectly rigid. A faint red glint reentered her eyes. "You can already tell that? You know how many I'm going to have already?"

Kouga perked up at the returning promise of violence against his favorite rival. He looked back and forth between Kagome's deceptively calm expression and Inuyasha's cornered one. "Gods, Inukkoro, this just keeps getting worse for you, doesn't it?" _Multiples for a first breed with a human? Oh, she's going to eat him for sure_.

"Kouga, I _really _don't need your help for this," Inuyasha gritted out, not wanting to take the time to beat the ever-living daylights out of the wolf for his continued presence and "helpful additions." Not when his biggest problem was glaring him down as though she was trying to pick out the perfect spot to tear apart first.

"I do believe it would be to your advantage to ignore Kouga for the moment, Inuyasha," Miroku couldn't resist commenting. He shook his head and stood, keeping an eye on Kagome's expression in profile the entire time. "I believe this issue will require most of your attention."

That said, the monk cleared his throat and inched away from what his instincts interpreted to be the most immediate source of danger. _More than one. Dammit, there is absolutely nothing fair about this situation._

Shippou nodded rapidly in agreement and swallowed hard against the sense of impending doom. As well as the urge to take refuge on the monk's shoulder. _This is so not going well_.

Kagome was feeling more than a little dizzy. She struggled to hold herself together with pride alone as everything but Inuyasha's face seemed to fade out of her focus. It was getting difficult to take in a proper breath and she was positive Shippou would tell on her for feeling the tremble in her limbs any second now. Even so, she stubbornly held her stern expression while her mind raced to restart all its voluntary functions and restore her ability to form a coherent thought that could translate into speech.

In the end, she still didn't trust herself to say more than the two words that meant more to her than any other at that particular moment. "How. Many?"

Inuyasha flinched guiltily. "I didn't realize we'd made more than one at the time-!"

"How many?" she repeated with more strength.

"I mean- that was the first time I've ever actually participated during a cycle," he admitted and slid back a step nervously. "And you were human before now, it's not like I was thinking that it would be a problem if we-"

"_Inuyasha_."

His ears flattened back as he fumbled to think of a way out of answering that. Realizing the futility of presenting anything but the truth, his shoulders slumped in defeat, and his eyes dropped meaningfully to Shippou. "You heard her."

"_What?_" Shippou's voice cracked under the sudden attention. His eyes widened to nearly comical proportions as Inuyasha gave him a single nod and jerked his head towards Kagome.

"How many souls can you feel?"

"Why are you asking me?" Shippou squeaked out while he looked from side to side in an instinctive search for escape.

"Cause you're the one who's had his damn ear practically attached to her belly since we got back!" Inuyasha shouted, rapidly losing all the patience he had left the longer Kagome stared at him.

"Plus he's a kitsune," Kouga added helpfully.

"Dammit, Kouga! Stay out of this!" Inuyasha jabbed a finger in Kouga's direction without feeling the least bit ashamed that he was using the wolf as an outlet for his frustration and anger. "Why the fuck are you even still here?"

"_You_ leave Kouga out of this!" Kagome cut in before the pair of them could get into it. "I mean it, Inuyasha, I want to know. _Now_."

"Why do you think I'm telling Shippou to tell you?" He rounded on her and demanded.

Kagome gaped at him. "You don't know?"

"How the hell could I?" Inuyasha finally gave in and flung his hands up in exasperation. "All I can hear is that there's more blood and energy moving around down there. Kitsune can tell from the start, how do you think they eat so many babies?"

"That's a lie!" Shippou shouted. His tail bristled in agitation as he shook one little fist at the hanyou. "Only _some _kitsune eat babies!"

Kagome set a quelling hand on Shippou's head and shot Inuyasha a look that spoke volumes about just what would happen to him if he didn't stop. Satisfied he would stop antagonizing Shippou, she took a deep, bracing breath and looked down at the little kitsune's nervous face. She didn't say a word; just continued to stare and waited for him to crack.

Shippou's lip quivered.

Kagome arched one eyebrow.

Shippou's eyes turned absolutely luminous in his attempt to convince her to turn her attention elsewhere.

Kagome's brow crept a fraction higher.

Inuyasha stubbornly ignored Kouga as the wolf appeared at his side and prodded him with an elbow. No matter how true it might be, he absolutely refused to acknowledge he was sharing in the moment of amusement. That wasn't even taking into account what was likely to happen if Kagome caught him taking any pleasure in the situation. Despite his dislike for the wolf, he was absolutely certain Kouga was having the same thoughts as he was; imagining Kagome sitting in a much more serene setting with that stone-faced front turned on a mischievous pup. Granted, the wolf likely wasn't imagining the babies she was tending had white hair and golden eyes, but at least Inuyasha knew his own version of the fantasy was more than just wishful thinking.

Shippou's expression finally cracked and he reached up to cover his head with his hands as best he could. "I just like to listen! That's all!"

Kagome bit the side of her tongue and sternly reminded herself that he was too young to understand she wasn't mad with _him_. She reached up to grasp his hands and gently tugged them down to his lap to get him to look up at her. "What do you hear, Shippou-chan?"

Swallowing hard, the little kitsune shot one more desperate look around the unhelpful faces of the other adults and slumped in resignation. He glanced up at Kagome through his bangs and reached out a shaky hand to touch her abdomen. In a quiet voice, he admitted, "There are three different spots being watched by souls, but one of them is kind of shy. It sticks behind one of the others and only touches you when that one goes with it."

Inuyasha's spine straightened and both ears shot up in shock. "Thr-?"

"Three?" Kagome choked out over the hanyou's whispered attempt to repeat that revelation. "_Three?_"

Kouga blinked and looked at Inuyasha with some surprise of his own. "For a first birth? What, were you _trying _to make it as difficult as possible?"

When Kagome's head snapped around to the pair of them again, Inuyasha cursed and glared at the wolf. "Not. Helping."

Kouga brought both his hands up in placating defensive but the look of confusion remained set on his face. "I'm not saying she doesn't have the body for it-"

"Kouga!" Kagome gasped out in embarrassment.

"What?" He shrugged and gestured to her shape to illustrate his point. "You've got some really nice hips on you, especially for a human. But you're still pretty small, Kagome."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Kagome was downright determined to ignore the flush she could feel rising in her cheeks.

Kouga cocked his head to one side at her question, not understanding how she didn't already know the answer. "Until you have one and settle your hips and all, it's not a good idea to start trying for full litters. You have to hold back."

Kagome stared at him in amazement. "How-? How do you know that?"

Kouga's brows lowered over his eyes and he glanced to Inuyasha only to find the hanyou staring at him with the same awed expression. He folded his arms and took on his most authoritative stance. "I'm the head of my pack, remember. I've overseen all the births that happened since I was old enough to start taking over, so of course I know!" Shaking his head, he gestured to Inuyasha and accused, "How the hell do you _not?_"

Inuyasha backhanded Kouga's chest in aggravation and snarled, "I didn't have a giant-ass fucking pack grooming me to help make babies!"

"Births! I help with _births_, inukkoro!" Kouga corrected impatiently. "I haven't made any of my own because, unlike you, I can control myself!"

"Could have fooled me," Inuyasha spat back derisively.

"_THREE?_"

Inuyasha's ears flatted down against his skull at Kagome's shout and even Kouga cringed from the anger in her voice. He even backed away to let her direct it all at the hanyou. If he hadn't been so concerned with the rising flare of Kagome's aura, Inuyasha might have spared a moment to taunt the wolf for his cowardice, but the narrowing of her eyes suggested that wouldn't be a good idea.

Inuyasha reflexively stuffed his hands into his sleeves and hurried to absolve himself of that blame. "It's not like I knew, Kagome!" Her eyes slanted to Kouga and he bristled at the silent indication. "_I_didn't know, all right? It's not like I ever met anyone who would ever want to have a hanyou's kids!"

"_I _wanted to have your kids, you colossal moron!" Kagome yelled right back.

"I wanted you to have them too, or you wouldn't be fucking pregnant, bitch!"

"You could have just said something then and we wouldn't have to be having this discussion!" Kagome actually stomped her foot, unable to think of any other way to adequately show her frustration without causing him serious bodily harm. She opened her mouth to yell at him again only to have her voice die in her throat. Her eyes widened as just what they'd been yelling back and forth sunk in.

All the anger abruptly drained out of her and left her staring at him in incredulity. Whether inadvertent or otherwise, Inuyasha had just unloaded more insecurities in the past five minutes than he'd shared with all of them combined in all the years she'd known him. She'd always wondered if he had issues about families or kids, especially given the history he had in regards to relationships in general. But since that day, everything had been moving so _fast_.

As tired as her body was, it was too easy for her head to feel like it was just last week she'd been blushing at the thought of holding hands with Inuyasha. Only in her wildest dreams had she ever let herself imagine a little golden-eyed baby with Inuyasha's ears cuddling down in her arms and calling her "mama" while the hanyou watched over them. To have two more added to what was now a reality for the suddenly much too near future?

Kagome brought a hand to her head as a wave of dizziness swept through her.

Inuyasha straightened in alarm when Kagome swayed. Before he stopped to think, he leapt across the space separating them and wrapped a steadying arm around her waist. Concerned golden eyes searched her face while he urged her to lean more of her weight against him. "What is it? Are you all right?"

"No, it's nothing," Kagome murmured with a shake of her head. "Just got light-headed all of a sudden."

Inuyasha frowned and looked her over from head to toe. "You probably haven't eaten enough today. Then you had to go and get all worked up over stupid shit." He gave Shippou a low growl to get him to move and swung Kagome up into his arms. "How many damn times do I have to tell you not to overdo it before it sinks in?"

"Well maybe if you said 'take it easy, you're eating for four,' I would known you weren't joking when you said I really should have eaten that cow we passed this morning," she drawled out sourly.

"You were staring at it and I heard your stomach growl," Inuyasha defended with a huff.

Kagome gave him a dry look to show her lack of appreciation for the reminder.

"I told you fresh is better," he continued. He pointedly ignored their captivated audience in favor of finding a boulder and sitting her down with uncommon gentleness. "I would have killed it for you."

"Not the point."

"Ch!" Inuyasha scoffed. "It is if you're falling over on me _now_."

Kagome swatted him in the stomach and said, "Can we stop talking about the damn cow and get back to the babies you 'forgot' to tell me we're having?"

Inuyasha covered her mouth with his hand and looked around for Sango. When he found her though, she was staring at him like he'd just mutated into something horrific right before their eyes. Brows lowering, he grunted to get her attention, "Oi, Sango. Go get something for Kagome to eat from Kaede-baba."

Her annoyance grew again and Kagome reached up to grab the two tails of hair framing the sides of his face. She yanked his head down, shook off his hand, and hissed, "We aren't done."

Inuyasha caught both her hands to stop her from pulling his hair again. "Dammit, bitch, I'm trying to take care of you!"

"And _I'm _trying to get some answers before I settle on strangling you in your sleep to be done with this!"

Sango was drawn out of her fascinated staring by the brush of a clawed hand across her wrist. Reflex made her jolt in alarm at the sensation she'd been trained to recognize as a deadly advance even as her mind caught and stopped it. She barely resisted the urge to swing Hiraikotsu around and slam it across whoever instigated it. Instead, she turned to frown her displeasure at Kouga. "Don't ever do that again."

Kouga smirked indulgently at her show of temper but refrained from making the kind of smartass remark she expected. He jerked a thumb back toward the town and rumbled softly, "You should get the other two. This will take some time with the way those two can go on."

Sango's jaw clenched and her eyes flickered to the couple indecisively. "But-"

"Might as well get something to eat while she finishes handing him his ass," Kouga explained with a heavy sigh. His eyes took on a wistful light as he focused on Kagome's face and the color in her cheeks while she traded arguments back and forth with Inuyasha. With a melancholy sigh, he shook his head and turned his back on the pair. "Besides, this way by the time they're done, my wolves will have brought in something good for her."

The taijiya blinked, bemused by his odd behavior. It took longer than she would have liked, but eventually things clicked and her expression cleared with her realization. As calm as the wolf was acting, this had to be disappointing at best. If not completely heartbreaking, depending on just how deep his affections truly ran. And yet, despite his personal feelings, or maybe even because of them, he was still thinking of Kagome's best interests.

Sango nodded to show she understood and caught Miroku's eye with a simple gesture. From there it was easy enough for the monk to beckon to Shippou and encourage him to abandon his dangerous perch between the pair. The fox rubbed a little hand on Kagome's flat stomach once more and made a stealthy run to join the retreat.

Still, Sango couldn't help but hesitate and glance back at the couple who remained unaware enough of their surroundings to miss the four of them removing themselves from the scene. _Will it really be okay?_

Kouga clapped her on the shoulder and urged her to keep following the path. "C'mon, taijiya. Either they work it out and come back together or Kagome kills the hanyou and agrees to come live pampered and happy with me forever instead."

Sango let out a helpless laugh and hurried to cover her mouth to muffle the sound. "You'll never change, Kouga. No wonder Kagome likes you so much."

"Just remember to remind Inuyasha of that," Kouga encouraged with a shameless grin. "Preferably every time he looks happy."

This time Sango was laughing softly as she cast one last look over her shoulder. Sending a silent prayer to the kami for everything to work out between her two dearest friends, she joined the rest of the group on the path toward the village.


End file.
